Group Q: "Death ends a life, not a relationship."

I think the best book I have ever read for English class was Tuesday's with Morrie. We're actually reading that book right now, and I love it. It's very inspirational. I guess everyone says it about that book, but I find it surprising that I actually like it. I normally read horror stories or very suspenseful novels. Tuesday's with Morrie is nowhere near suspenseful or scary, except for the thought of death. The discussions that we have with Mrs. Schaefer are interesting. The things that Mitch and Morrie talk about are things I've never really thought about. I mean, I don't just sit here and ponder about death every day. I kind of live my life as if I can die at any moment. I don't fear death, but the thought of it is quite scary. If I did die right now, or while I'm just doing something I usually do, I would be happy. I've lived a happy life. I'm proud of where I am right now. Besides death, they also talked about family. I've never been in Mitch's or Morrie's situation where they had to deal with a sibling’s sickness. Well, if my oldest brother was alive when I was born, that would be a different situation. But things are different now. I didn't necessarily have to deal with a parent’s death, but I do know what it feels like to not have a parent present. Either way, it's still hard. I find the book so inspirational because even though Morrie is dying, he still lives his life as if nothing wrong is going on. He always says that in a situation like what he is in right now, you're supposed to surround yourself with family and loved ones. I agree. I'd rather be surrounded by my father and sister instead of dying alone or with some doctors that I don't even know. I think being with your family is a way of making all the bad things in your life disappear. Of course family brings drama and what not, but it also brings great memories. After we finished the story, I found myself crying. When Mitch was talking about how Morrie looked, how pale and weak he was, how his face was sunken in, it reminded me of how I last saw my great aunt. When I saw my aunt, a couple days before she passed, I think it was the most scarring moment of my left. I watched as she withered away. Then, suddenly she was gone. Now, no one talks about her, no one ever brings her up. Last week I saw my first dead body at a funeral. It wasn't my aunt, she was cremated, but it was a customer that I used to wait on at the WAK. It was weird to see him so healthy and happy one time and then the next, he's lying in a coffin as if he's sleeping. I think in that moment in time that also scarred me. I’ve learned a lot from this book, and I’m sure that I'll remember it for the rest of my life.