Letter to Author Writing Assignment

Dear Mr. Albom,

As a summer reading assignment, I chose one of the many books you have written. I chose it without knowing the magnitude of impact it would have on me personally. This book took me on a ride of many emotions.

Tuesdays with Morrie taught me lessons about subjects that I think most people have questions about. This book kept me completely motivated to it finish it. I could barely put it down! Throughout the reading of your book, my emotions changed every page I turned--- happy to worried, angry to sad, and everything else in between.

I was happy when you decided to have lessons with Morrie again and how you were learning about life with such an amazing human being. I was worried because I did not know how Morrie was going to die. For a moment I thought he was just going to have some miraculous recovery and go back to teaching. I could not have been more incorrect. I was angry when you took the call of a producer instead of rushing to see Morrie.

I never met this man but was sad when he passed away. I spent considerable time in my bedroom reading this book start-to-finish. Needless to say, the ending had me in tears. My dad asked me if I was OK? I just looked at him and asked, “Why do the good ones die early?” He explained to me that sometimes life works like that.

As I was reading about the lessons Morrie taught you, I imagined if one day I would be as wise as him; if one day I’d be able to give such good advice to the people I love, just like he gave you? It’s incredible how the words you wrote on a page inspired me to want to have known Morrie. As I read about the lessons he taught you, I learned to appreciate each and every one.I learned that we should appreciate our friends, love our family unconditionally, and look for life- lessons in the smallest of situations that we encounter every day. In short, every chapter taught me something new. Nonetheless, I want to share with you the two lessons that I most related to.

The first lesson I related to the most was one that really made me think more about how I should live life without overly concerning myself with what other people think. In this lesson Morrie was explaining to you how “everyone is going to die, but nobody believes it.” When he said that my heart dropped because it’s so true! Honestly, how many people think that way? I would suspect not many. People nowadays tend to, as Morrie said, ”Kid themselves about death.” I am too young to understand some things, but one thing I know is that we’re all going to die one day, and that’s why we have to enjoy life like there’s no tomorrow. “Learn how to die, and you learn how to live”— Morrie.

The second lesson I related to was one about family. Family is a pillar in my life. As morrie started saying, “There is no foundation, no secure ground, upon which people may stand today if it isn’t family. If you don’t have the support and love and caring and concern that you get from family, you don’t have much at all. Love is supremely important.” I relate to this lesson he taught you because I literally can’t live without my family.They are the only people I trust, the only ones I know for sure won’t stab me in the back, the only ones that won’t try putting people against me, the only ones that will support me no matter what. That’s why I relate to his lesson. Family is important to him and it’s also important to me. “Love each other or perish.”— Morrie.

I want to finish this letter by thanking you for writing this amazing story and for sharing with, not only me, but the entire world how blessed you were to have such a tremendous influence in your life. You certainly showed us how despite having amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Morrie was an incredibly strong man. He looked in the face of this debilitating disease each and every day with an unshakeable character. He never gave up. This inspires me to keep plugging along everyday and to spread Morrie’s good words around. For me, the teaching (still) goes on.