Tuesdays With Morrie Chapter 23 Quotes
How we cite the quotes:
(Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote 1
"Over the years, I met Norman a few times and he always tried to reconcile, but I didn't accept it. I wasn't satisfied with his explanation. I was prideful. I shrugged him off." (23.10)
In their talk about forgiveness, Morrie opens up to Mitch and tells him about an old friend whom he turned his back on because of a bad situation between them. He's sad about it now because he never had the chance to make things right, and tells Mitch that forgiveness toward friends is always more important than wanting to be right.
Quote 2
"I don't know why you came back to me. But I want to say this…"
He paused, and his voice choked.
"If I could have had another son, I would have liked it to be you." (23.33-35)
Here Morrie makes a statement that goes way beyond friendship. He's already said that family is the most intense friendship, and here he puts Mitch right there with his family, saying that if he could pick additions to the family he already has, it would be him.
Quote 3
It was another of the things I had watched his helpers do for months, and now, in an attempt to hold on to what I could of him, I had volunteered to do it myself. […] Also, of course, Morrie liked being held and touched. And at this point, anything I could do to make him happy, I was going to do. (23.3)
Mitch is massaging Morrie's ankles to help relieve his pain. His love for Morrie has moved him to acts of compassion, and his way of showing his love for his friend is through small acts of kindness. We know that he's not one for words like Morrie is, so show he shows that he cares in different ways.
Quote 4
"It's not just other people we need to forgive, Mitch," he finally whispered. We also need to forgive ourselves."
Ourselves?
"Yes. For all the things we didn't do. All the things we should have done. You can't get stuck on the regrets of what should have happened. That doesn't help you when you get to where I am." (23.17-19)
Morrie is sharing a story with Mitch about a friendship of his own that ended badly because he held a grudge. There are two morals to this story: (1) You've got to forgive people because refusing to forgive is refusing to love; and (2) you've got to forgive yourself no matter what. Hating yourself for something that you aren't able to fix is just destructive.