Too Relevant

The second of the two books my Aunt let me borrow, seemed to be perfectly placed during this year’s reading list.

‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ – Mitch Albom

This is a non-fiction book, Morrie is a professor, or was a professor. Born in 1916 he had a relatively tough upbringing, aspired to get a job in a profession in which he wasn’t part of forced labour and so the journey of him teaching begun. He was a very wise man who had a large impact on many of his students, particularly Mitch Albom himself. Upon graduating, Mitch promised he would keep in touch with his beloved professor; however, this promise was long since forgotten until Mitch learnt his professor had ALS. Thus the two begun to meet on Tuesdays as they had done so many years prior to continue their lessons together. Though, the touching part for me was that these lessons didn’t require a textbook, a PowerPoint to follow, worksheets or homework, these lessons were invaluable; they were lessons of life itself.

Wednesday 8^th July 2015, 2 days before I started reading this book, the day before my leaver’s prom, I found out that my Nan had passed away at the magnificent age of 93. It still hasn’t hit home, I still haven’t been able to cry which is probably the reason I couldn’t cry by the time the inevitable happened in Albom’s novel. Though, without sounding morbid, it seemed to bring home the idea that it does happen to everyone and you need to live and have no regrets by the time your inevitable happens. Although the novella isn’t the happiest of topics to read about while the sun is shining (although today rain did pour as the tradition of English summer goes) but there were some truly beautiful quotes;

‘Love wins. Love always wins’

‘Love is the only rational act’

Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live’

These quotes are the type of quotes that when you read them, you re read them, you pause for a moment, turn away from the book and try and understand the meaning of them and the many ways they fit with you. In all the arguments and worries and stresses and deadlines of human lives, love wins, it’s the only rational thing we as humans can do, and when you learn how to die, you learn how to live. They are comforting thoughts, morbid thoughts and thoughts that I am certainly going to ponder on for a while.

But for now, a tribute, to my Nan, may she Rest in Peace. To the beautiful lady who always wore a smile, who was as young at heart as we are, who appreciated the small things in life, who taught us to be crazy and let go and be yourself, to the lady who lived a full life with my Grandad, with my father, with me and is now watching over us in heaven with her beloved husband whom I never met and with my Grandad who left us 4 years ago.

I love you.