Read Tuesdays with Morrie, then make time for what matters
It is easy to finish a busy week without asking whether it was a week you wanted to live. There are messages to answer, work to complete, and plans to make. The quieter questions can wait—until waiting becomes a habit.
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom is a book we recommend for that moment. Read it when you want to reconsider what you are giving your time to, or when you want a thoughtful conversation with someone whose experience is different from your own.
A brief introduction to the book
Published in 1997, this memoir follows Albom’s reconnection with Morrie Schwartz, his former sociology professor at Brandeis University. After seeing Morrie on television discussing life with ALS, Albom begins visiting him. Their Tuesday conversations become the basis of the book. Publisher’s book page · Brandeis on their relationship.
As Morrie approaches the end of his life, their meetings become a continuing conversation about how to live. The relationship between teacher and student gives these questions a personal setting: one person makes time to return, and another makes time to teach. Mitch Albom’s introduction.
Why it is worth reading
The book brings love, loss, and the wisdom of an older generation into an accessible story. Its invitation is to consider what makes a life meaningful while we still have choices to make. Read more about the book.
Our recommendation is to read slowly. When a passage makes you think of someone, pause. When you disagree, write down why. A useful book does not need to settle every question; it can help you notice the questions you have stopped asking.
Three reflections to carry into an ordinary week
Give relationships a place in your calendar. Caring about someone and making time for them are different actions. Consider one small appointment you could keep: a call to a parent, a walk with your partner, or an unhurried conversation with a friend. Attention becomes tangible when another person can feel it.
Look at the standard you use to judge your day. A productive day can still leave an important part of life unattended. Alongside what you finished, ask who you listened to, what you enjoyed, and whether you acted in a way you respect. This is an invitation to widen your definition of a good day.
Let another person’s experience challenge your assumptions. Learning from Morrie need not mean agreeing with every lesson. A mentor offers a perspective to examine against your own life. You can keep what helps, question what does not, and become more deliberate about the values you choose.
These are our reflections inspired by the book, rather than quotations or a complete account of Morrie’s teaching.
Read a little. Write a page.
Keep a notebook beside you and choose one of these prompts after reading. They are original prompts from Diary Companion:
- Who would I like to spend more time with, and what is one invitation I can make this week?
- Which part of my idea of success did I choose, and which part did I inherit?
- When did I last listen without preparing my response?
- What have I been postponing that matters to me?
- Who has taught me something important, and what would I like to thank them for?
You do not need a polished answer. Write about a real moment, then choose one small action. Come back a week later and notice what happened.
Make room for the whole book
Borrow Tuesdays with Morrie from your library or find a copy through the author’s website. A summary can introduce its premise, but spending time with the story gives you room to form your own response.
That is also the spirit of Diary Companion: keep writing in your own words, and return to your pages with a little more perspective. A journal can be a place to prepare for the conversations you want to have with the people in your life.
Explore Diary Companion →