Tuesdays with Morrie

"All I ever wanted was to bring attention to those who are ill and helpless."

"Accept what you are able to do and do it well."

"The truth is, you can't out-think aging. There's no philosophical position that's going to keep you young."

"You need someone to validate you. In the end, when we suffer, we suffer alone."

"We laugh, we cry. We recognize each other. That's humanity."

"I want to die alert and aware."

"The culture doesn't encourage you to think about such things until you're about to die."

"You have to say no to things to make room for the things that matter."

"Each person gets limited time on this earth. That's all."

"Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live."

"If you're always battling against getting older, you're always going to be unhappy."

"Invest in the human family. Invest in people."

"We all need people who will give us a challenge and keep us honest."

"The most important thing is knowing you're not alone."

"Aging is not just decay, you know. It's growth."

"There is no experience like having someone who loves you."

"Build a little community of those you love and who love you."

"Do the kind of work you would do if you were independently wealthy."

"I believe in being fully present with whoever I'm with."

"Money is not a substitute for tenderness."

"We're so wrapped up with egotistical things, the way we want to be treated, we don't give others a chance."

"Forgive yourself before you die. Then forgive others."

"When you're rotten inside, it doesn't matter how young and beautiful you are on the outside."

"The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others."

"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important."

"The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves."

"Maybe that's my life work—to be a good teacher."

"Take my hand, Mitch. Let's do what we've always done. Let's talk."

"Touch each other. Hold hands."

"This disease is a gift in a way."