In a person’s life, death is the one thing that is inevitable. People go from day to day but act like they are going to live forever. In “ Tuesdays with Morrie”, Morrie claims that everyone knows they are going to die, but no one really believes it. Up until the time of his ALS diagnosis, Morrie rarely though about death. It took his unfortunate diagnosis for him to accept his fate and begin living in the moment. He explains that in order for a person to learn to live, they have to learn to die. People view death as this scary matter but that is because it is foreign until someone close to them actually passes. Most people know they are going to die one day, but they do not truly believe and understand death.
Morrie claims that if people knew they were actually going to die, they would be prepared for it. Most people live their live for the future; they anticipate a big pay check or the their long-awaited summer vacation. If people realized what was ahead of them, they would live their lives differently. They would spend more time with their loved ones and hug them tighter each time. It is not very common to think about death every day. However, accepting fate would allow one to truly live in the moment.
When Morrie was diagnosed with his terminal condition, he knew he had to make a decision: to wither away or make the most of the rest of his life. Morrie decided to not ashamed of dying. He reconnected with old friends and helped create a narrative of his life with his former student, Mitch. He knew that his time was limited and he wanted to make the most of it with the people he had around him. He did not fear death; he lived his life to the fullest extent.
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Many people can’t fathom that they might not wake up tomorrow. They plan ahead for things that might not come. Death is often associated with old age. Some of the younger generation do not even think that they could die until they are 60 or 70. Although many people pass away from old age, there are so many unnatural deaths. One common cause of death in teenagers and people in their early twenties is texting and driving
So many deaths in recent years have been caused by cellular devices. Teenagers feel like they are invincible and that their actions will not have consequences. Since they do not really think about death and how it would affect the people around them, they tend to act carelessly. If they realized the consequences of their actions, they would chose smarter decisions.
Morrie stated that people walk around like they are sleep walking. Since we are basically half-asleep, we do not experience the world to the fullest extent. People do not take the time to “smell the roses” and truly live life. There is a routine to our daily lives and we think it must be followed to a tee. In the world, there is so much violence and death. If someone turns on their tv or goes on social media, they will see the newest report of a malicious death. However, we walk around with rose colored glasses on and act like nothing is wrong. We have become desensitized to death to the point where it is just another person gone. It has become such a light topic because society has normalized unforeseen deaths and massacres.
In the chapter The Fourth Tuesday We Talk About Death, Morrie tells Mitch that he needs to have the metaphorical bird that sits on his shoulder and keeps him in check. This metaphorical bird that Morrie described can be applied to a one’s daily life. In order for people to live the life they are supposed to, they need to ask themselves, “Am I being the person that I want to be?” The bird is like a reality check to live in the moment and accomplish the things that need to be done. Many people do not think about how their life could be gone in a instant.
As Morrie was dying from ALS, he was also living the life he wanted to while he could. He taught classes until he was not physically able to. Morrie did not let ALS keep him down and depressed but used it as motivation to be a better person and an encouragement for the people around him. His life is the perfect example because he realized that death is unavoidable but also made the best of it from day to day.
After reading Tuesday’s with Morrie, it is apparent that many people do not believe that they are going to die. Morrie explains that people would live differently and be more productive if they truly realized what was ahead of them. Most people do not believe they are going to die until they become really sick or the time gets closer.
Every day we go throughout our normal lives without realizing the possibility that today could be the day. Morrie brought attention that it is very important to spend time with your loved because nobody knows when their time to go is. In order to be more involved in life, a person must believe that they are going to die someday.
References
- Tuesdays with Morrie – This article discusses the theme of death in the book “Tuesdays with Morrie” and how Morrie’s perspective on death changed after being diagnosed with ALS.
- No Family? Women Are Slowly Realizing They Don’t Have to Settle for Death Alone. – This opinion piece from NBC News explores the idea that women no longer have to settle for dying alone if they don’t have family, and highlights alternative options such as chosen families and intentional communities.
- Facing Up to Death – This academic study published in the Journal of Health Psychology explores individual differences in attitudes towards death.
