What I will always take with me from this book is the meaning of life. You can't take anyone for granted because they don't live forever. You also should live your life to the fullest and do not be afraid to do things that might seem scary now. Don't dwell on the future, live in the present. Lastly, I will always remember that you should be thankful for what you have right in front of you because some people aren't as fortunate as I am. These little things have taught me the meaning of my life. I now know how to live my life how I should. With my family, friends, and with the people I love the most.
"We must love one another or die." - Morrie "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." -Morrie
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Throughout this book, I have learned so much about myself and about others. Morrie taught me more importantly about the meaning of my life. I have discovered that there is more to your life than you think. Everyday you wake up sometimes mad or sad, but not always with a smile on your face. Live your life to the fullest and don't dwell on the future because you don't live forever. You want to enjoy the days of your life and not be sad when you are aging. Be happy about aging because it will teach you the real meaning of your life. "If you don't take the chance to live life, what can you say at the end of it?" - Naveen Andrews
The irony between the ending of the "Trial of the Century" and what Morrie was thinking is that Morrie didn't care much about what was happening at the trial when everyone else did. He did not mind what the conclusion about the verdict was. Morrie cares more about what is happening with his life and how he is going to live the rest of it. This connects to Morrie because everyday, Morrie can care less about other people's problems because he has a battle of his own. The trial was ending and so was Morrie's life.
The story about the 1979 basketball game reflects to who Morrie is as a person because Morrie believes that it doesn't matter who wins or loses. It is just a game and he thinks that everyone plays their best and every body is a winner. In the 10th tuesday, Morrie and Mitch talk about marriage and its importance. Morrie describes the commitment of marriage in many specific ways. Morrie believes that in this culture, it is so very important to have a loving relationship with someone because so much of our cultures don't give us that. Also Morrie thinks that the kids today are too selfish to commit to a loving relationship or they rush into marriage to fast and then six months later they get divorced. They don't know what they want in a partner and they don't know who they are themselves, so they don't know who they are marrying. He also believes that when you find that special partner, it will be different than having a friend. A partner will stay up with you on those long nights when you don't feel very well or you just need someone to be with. A friend doesn't do that.
The rules that Morrie has for marriage: 1. If you don't respect the other person, you're going to have a lot of trouble. 2. If you don't know how to compromise, you're going to have a lot of trouble. 3. If you can't talk openly about what goes on between you, you're going to have a lot of trouble. 4. And if you don't have a common set of values in you're life, you're going to have a lot of trouble. Your values must be alike. These rules are very important in marriage because they are all about how if these things occur in your relationship, than it wasn't meant to be. Like Morrie always says... "Love each other or perish." In the 9th Tuesday, Morrie and Mitch talk about how love goes on. Morrie explains that love is how you stay alive, even after you are gone. When someone dies, no one stops loving that person. They will stay in their memory forever and they will never forget the person. My great-grandpa had died before my brother and I were born. He was a great man who was generous, talented, loving, and he cared for everyone who was around him. I hear that he was such an amazing cook and he would make food for our family everyday. Also he had built our shore house that still stands today, even though we had to remodel from the hurricane. We have so many memories in that house because of my grandfather. Even though I have never met my grandpa, I will still love him always and forever. His love will never be lost in my memory and I know he is sitting on my shoulder and guiding me everyday of my life.
Question 1. Morrie's love for music:
Morrie's love for music is very intense, even before he got sick. It now had moved him to tears. He would listen to opera at night and it would make him relaxed and he is taken with the magnificent voices. Morrie would had always been taken with simple pleasures, singing, dancing, and laughing. This connects to what Morrie is trying to teach Mitch about money because now that he is taken with music and now materials have no significance. He is trying to teach Mitch that materials are nothing compared to love, tenderness, compassion, and gentleness. Those things have significance. No one in this world can put a price on that. Question 3. Morrie's view on materialism... Morrie believes that people these days are wanting to buy their happiness with materials. No one knows what is really important anymore because we are so caught up with our lives thinking about what we want, not what we need. Materials have no significance in Morrie's eyes, neither do they have significance in mine. Question 7. Does one have to die to be reborn... In my view of this meaningful quote, one has to die to be reborn. When you are alive, you don't understand how much meaning there is to your life. When you die, you are reborn in a way that you understand why you did things in your life that had a lot of meaning, but you didn't realize it. You also start a new life in Heaven with God who will help you understand how much you are important. Morrie’s thoughts on aging are that when you get older you are just like a child again. Someone always has to bathe you, lift you, and wipe you. He was starting to enjoy his dependency because there is always a person to rub cream on him or wipe his brows. Morrie didn’t get enough of what other kids got in their childhood. When our mothers would hold us, rock us, and stroke our heads. He is experiencing what it is like now that he is old and all grown up.
Mitch had asked Morrie if he was ever afraid of growing old. Morrie’s thoughts were that he embraces aging. He explained to Morrie that as you grow, you learn more. If you stay at a young age, you will always be as ignorant as you were at that age. Aging is growth and it is not just the negative that you are going to die. It is the positive that you will understand fully that you are going to die. You will live a much better life because of it. “Listen. You should know something. All younger people should know something. If you’re always battling against getting older, you’re always going to be unhappy, because it will happen anyhow.” –Morrie pg. 118-119 My thoughts on aging are that you should never fear early in your life about aging. You should be happy to live a full life and experience what is like as you get older. You will learn the meaning of your life when you are old. I am excited to see what is like to understand the meaning of my life. Never fear aging, embrace it. Caption: In the 60's, hippies were created. In this picture they are protesting about how there should be love and peace, not war.
"Do you believe in reincarnation I ask? Perhaps. What would you come back as? If I had my choice, a gazelle. A gazelle? Yes. So graceful. So graceful. So fast. A gazelle? Morrie similes at me. You think that's strange? I study his shrunken frame, the loose clothes, the sock-wrapped feet that rest stiffly on foam rubber cushions, unable to move, like a prisoner in leg irons. I picture a gazelle racing across the desert. No, I say. I don't think that's strange at all."
I think that this means that Morrie wants to be free and he wants to do everything other people can do. Morrie wants to be so graceful and he wants nothing to worry about. If I were to come back as something, I would be a dog. Dogs are loyal, lovable, happy, and a man's best friend. I am all those things and I would like to embrace that part of me more. "Where life begins and love never ends." -Unknown... My family is so important to me in so many ways. My family is caring, loving, accepting, appreciative, and quite generous. I love them for who they are as individuals and we accept each other for what we want to accomplish or become. My mom, dad, and brother help me through ups and downs and we work everything out together like all families should. We also learn from each other when we might not even realize it. We make lots of memories that will last a lifetime and I cherish every moment we have together. I realize how important my family is everyday because you never know what is going to happen.
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