Forgiveness In Mitch Albom's Tuesdays With Morrie

Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom’s memoir, shows the steady degeneration of Mitch’s elderly professor Morrie Schwartz. Morrie develops Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, which will slowly disintegrate his muscles. Ultimately, this disease works itself to his lungs and kills him.

However, this overpowering problem never stopped Morrie from teaching. Mitch would soon start visiting his favorite professor, Morrie, on Tuesdays after learning about the declining of his health. During the visits, Mitch learns about significant moments and how his focus on the surrounding distractions interrupts his values. While conversating one Tuesday, Morrie tells Mitch, “Once you learn how to die, then you learn how to live” (qtd. in Albom 82). These aphorisms show how morals presents themselves when someone is looking death in the face. The most remarkable lessons

He discusses how people should “forgive [them}selves [and] forgive others. Don’t wait” (qtd. in Albom 167). Morrie’s relationship with his friend, Norman, is an example of why society needs to understand that forgiveness is always an option. Although Morrie has forgiven Norman, He acknowledges that “it’s not just other people we have to forgive, Mitch”, but also “need to forgive ourselves” (qtd. in Albom 166). He is able to comprehend that it is not always the responsibility of others, however; it has to be forgiven before it is too late. Morrie is almost unable to forgive himself but he understands that “you can’t get stuck on the regrets of what should’ve happened” (qtd. in Albom 166). Meanwhile, along this sorrowing process of regretting, Morrie is able to optimistically say “I mourn my dwindling time, but I cherish the chance it gives me to make things right” (qtd. in Albom 167). Morrie is able to connect and penetrate Mitch’s feeling of unforgiveness by demonstrating that even the miserable regrets can be brought to the