So… not exactly midwifery related but for my English pre-req course I had to read Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom.
Holy cow that’s a good book!
Amazon’s description:
The titular Morrie was Morrie Schwartz, Albom’s university professor 20 years before the events being narrated. An accidental viewing of an interview with Morrie on Nightline led Albom to become reunited with his old teacher, friend, and “coach” at a time when Albom, a successful sportswriter, was struggling to define dissatisfaction with his own life and career. Morrie, on the other hand, after a rich life filled with friends, family, teaching, and music, was dying from Lou Gehrig’s disease, a crippling illness that diminished his activities daily. Albom was one of hundreds of former students and acquaintances who traveled great distances to visit Morrie in the final months of his life.
The 14 Tuesday visits that followed their reunion took Albom–and will take listeners with him–on a journey of reawakening to life’s best rewards. The story is told in a journalistic style that never crosses into pathos. That a professional writer can write well is not surprising, but Albom also reads well, with clear enunciation and a talent for mimicry. Another reader might have interpreted the professor’s aphorisms as droll humor or wrung a wrong note at an inappropriate moment, making the story a maudlin tear-jerker; instead it is read for what it is, a tribute to a remarkable teacher. (Running time: four hours, three cassettes) –Brenda Pittsley
Morrie was a very wise and inspirational man. Here are a few quotes from the book:
On Culture:
“The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn’t work, don’t buy it.” (p.42)
On Forgiveness:
“We…need to forgive ourselves…For all the things we didn’t do. All the things we should have done. You can’t get stuck on the regrets of what should have happened.” (p.166)
On Getting Meaning intoLife:
“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” (p.43)
On Emotions:
“If you hold back on the emotions–if you don’t allow yourself to go all the way through them–you can never get to being detached, you’re too busy being afraid.” (p.104)
More here:http://quote2me.blogspot.com/2007/04/quotes-from-tuesdays-with-morrie.html
If you haven’t read this I highly recommend it!
midwiferyjourney
