I am a “Tuesdays With Morrie” late bloomer but am pleased to announce that the book has finally made its way to the “read” pile.

To emphasize my adoration, I have a coveted bookshelf reserved for all of my Mitch Albom novels and “Tuesdays” now sits among them as one of the best.

I have read “The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto:” It was phenomenal. I devoured “The Five People You Meet In Heaven:” Put simply, it was outstanding, one of my most treasured paperbacks of all time. On the Mitch Albom “to be read” list, I hold copies of “For One More Day” and “The Time Keeper.” He is by far one of my favorite authors and each release puts me in a state of awe. His  vernacular is simple and yet his moving, thought provoking lessons stay with me forever.

I always heard about “Tuesdays With Morrie” but could never get my hands on a copy. “The Last Bookstore” in Los Angeles concluded my search: I found a $3 pre-loved version in pristine condition.

To give a brief synopsis,  the story is told from the author’s point of view and is based on a real-life account. Mitch Albom introduces himself as the main character: At the time, a workaholic thirty-something sportswriter, cruising through life at the speed of light.  He thrived on the grind, was determined to make enough money to guarantee security and paid little mind to the things that money couldn’t buy.

But Mitch’s world was turned upside down when his past paid him a visit. One night after work, while flipping through channels, Mitch overheard the name of his old professor from Brandeis University sound through the screen. He was on television, chatting with Ted Koppel of ABC’s Nightline.

Morrie Schwartz wasn’t just any professor, but a friend to Mitch, one of his favorite mentors. Beyond his incredible knack for teaching Sociology in a way that fostered the best kind of learning, Morrie had eyes that spoke to the soul and a laugh that could fill the room. He was larger than life, the kind of man everyone wanted to be around, and upon seeing Morrie before him on Nightline, Mitch felt pangs of guilt for letting the relationship drift. He set out on getting back in touch.

But Mitch was not prepared for all that he witnessed as he stepped through Morrie’s front door one Tuesday afternoon. He quickly learned that Morrie had been diagnosed with ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, a brutal, unforgiving illness of the neurological system that “resembles a lit candle, melting your nerves and leaving your body a pile of wax.”

But although reality foreshadowed the end of a human life, Morrie was determined to teach one more lesson. The student? His old scholar, Mitch.

I don’t want to provide too much detail and spoil the book, but this account serves as a lifeline when you need that little spark. Morrie crafted a syllabus that seeks to realign the spirit with all that is important: The things that we forget about when we get too caught up in the world around us.

Morrie used no books to teach his lesson- he and Mitch constructed a masterpiece that transcends anything that one could learn, outside of open-minded experience. The words tugged at my heart and whispered all of the things I needed to hear- It was a read that came into my life at just the right time.

This book moves you in truly beautiful ways: It prompts the desire  to pick up the phone, call that friend or family member that you haven’t stayed in contact with. Makes you want to get out and run. Help the community. Dance. See and do and feel all of the things that bring joy. I encourage you to read it if you haven’t, and if you have read the book but need a reminder of its lessons, take it off of the shelf. Skim its pages. Re-energize your soul with Mitch and Morrie’s words .

Final Score: 5 I am still sifting through some of Morrie’s teachings and know that I will come back to them, put my thoughts on paper, either privately, or on here. There are some lines that continuously knock the wind out of me, and I want to go back and highlight them, write them down. This $3 purchase was one of my best of 2019. A gift, that I hope to pay forward as well.

BEST FOR: Everyone. My heart aches because I wish my mother read this book before she passed. I think that the story hits so close to home because of her: I wish that I could’ve read it to her, been her “coach” as she moved into another place. I think that it could’ve provided her more peace.

NOT GOOD FOR: It’s a simple read, and it is timeless. “Tuesday’s With Morrie” should be on every bookshelf.

IF THIS BOOK/ AUTHOR WAS A HIGH SCHOOL STEREOTYPE: The Unyielding Optimist.

**Want to see what I’m reading next? Find me on GoodReads and join the 2019 challenge with me! https://www.goodreads.com/addingpunctuation **