I’m Turning 25: Tributes to Books That Change My Life
This month, I turn 25. I decide to give some heartfelt tributes to books that change my life. Some books that I would say -life transforming- and that is understatement.
Tuesdays With Morrie: an old man, a young man, and life’s greatest lesson by Mitch Albom
I was walking down in my office lobby to get some lunch. I walked past some booth selling preloved books. They have basically everything from novels to children books to more serious books. They have this one stack books in English put way on the side, untouched by visitors. So, I went over. I thought, if I’m lucky, maybe I can get some cool novels.
I look closely, between Harry Potters and other big, thick novels, I found Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. This book stood out among others because size wise, this is the smallest one. I know this book is very famous, I didn’t expect this book ended up in a preloved book booth.
It was already stained and the paper already turned yellowish. I took it home, but I didn’t read it until few days after that. Until, I traveled back to my hometown and decided to take it with me. It was only 192 pages long. I thought “Oh it’s pretty light”.
I was wrong.
Mitch Albom let us sit with him and his beloved professor Morrie Schwartz or Morrie for life’s lesson class. In this class, we’ll be taught about what matters most in life.
Morrie was in the last stage of life. He knew well his time was limited. His breath’s getting shorter, his legs withered and his days numbered. Mitch wanted to immortalize wisdom that his professor gives him. The class was held every Tuesdays.
In the first’s chapters, Mitch told us how they met in college, how they lost touch and how Mitch foundnd his professor again through tv show “Nightline” that Morrie guest to tell people about the same subject: the meaning of life. Mitch tell you how their conversation evolves from “How are you?” to “What is it like to die?”
They talk about family, love, forgiveness and something that closest to life: death. Morrie teaches us what to pack before we die but more importantly what to left to others. My favorite chapter was about forgiveness. It starts with Morrie said:
“Forgive yourself before you die. Then forgive others”. — Morrie Schwartz
It always hard to make peace with yourself. I used to beat myself up for things that I did or I didn’t do. Morrie reminds us to forgive ourselves and forgive others and not to wait to forgive because we never know how long we live. He know exactly how it’s like, in the face of death, all feuds and grudges means nothing.
I finished this book in one sitting. Hooked to the very end. To this day this book leaves me and millions other with a warmed heart. Every time I need some advices, I come to Morrie. Hoping he has some advices I could use. And he does, every time.
After that, I passionately telling my friends “You have to read this book”. I even buy some as birthday gifts. I send it with some note “I hope we all find our Morrie, like Mitch did. If not, we can always find him here.”
Girl with A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
Library used to be my sanctuary in my first year in college. I don’t really have friends, hadn’t found one at that time. I’m trying to escape that loneliness and bury my nose in some random books I can find to distract myself. This book is one of my first friends.
A Girl with Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier. The title (and the background stroy) was named after Johannes Vermeer’s painting. A painting of a young woman with veil tied around her head. She was looking back from her left shoulder. As if she heard your footstep in a wooded floor and it echoes the whole room and she turns her head around. Your eyes meet hers. She has this big beaming eyes you can’t escape. The lighting come from her left side, sweeping her face gently, making her eyes beaming even more. Her lips were a bit parting, enough to make her looked lustrous. Vermeer painted the background black, as if he insists you to focus on her face. You examine the picture a little better after that. You see something shining, dangling under her left ear. A pearl.
Set in 17th century in Delft, the story centres in master painter, Johannes Vermeer and his maid, Griet’s life. A sixteen-year-old girl was thrown by her family to a wealthy household to be their maid. Until one day, Griet see the master property for painting-lack of something. It wasn’t complete. She braves herself to change the painting background. Surprisingly, to both, the master agrees to what she did. He knows right away, Griet is different. Soon enough Vermeer finds Griet not only helpful to clean his studio, but also to his painting.
Johanes Vermeer was one of the best painters in his time, but he also a slow painter. He produces two to three painting in a year. Not good enough money for growing family with too many kids. Vermeer starts to trust Griet to help in his studio. He let her to help him with grinding pigments and run some errand.
The moments with him in the studio become her favourite thing. The tension between the two was built so delicate, there’s no big declaration in their relationship. No grande entrance of time when they fall in love. Everything falls into its place gracefully, without breaking their boundaries. Both know their position, a master and a maid. A renown master painter and a maid.
Girl with A Pearl Earring shows that love is not always look like a thunder, loud and clear. It disguises in a gentle gesture. It sneaks into your mind incognito, only for you to realize you are drowning already. You are too late to be saved.
Chevalier was undoubtedly one of the best historical novelists in the last two decades. I have been read this book for at least five times now. And for those loving the historical romance genre, I couldn’t recommend this one enough.
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
Honest to God one of the most heart-breaking memoir I have ever read. A close-up view of what is like to face death. Paul Kalanithi let us walk with him side to side in his last moment of life. Witnessing his transformation from being doctor into terminal illness patient.
At 36, at his peaking career, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. Death was always close to his life as a doctor now, it comes a little closer but a lot more personal. Through his memoir Paul shows us his desperation even fears toward what his life’s gonna be. He imagined his whole life that he prepared for wouldn’t come true. The time he spent almost a decade on training being neurosurgeon seems blurred now. His fears of not being enough of a husband for Lucy, not being husband that he wanted to be, or even worse, he promised to be.
During his treatment, his doctor aske him “How do you want to live the rest of your life?”. Knowing his limited time, he tried to rebuild again the life that interrupted by his diagnoses. In that time, Paul have all option opened for him, well, not in pre-diagnosed trajectory. He can be at home, spending time with his family, or being a writer, or stay-at-home husband? But he chose to back to the OR. Because that’s who he is. Being neurosurgeon is what make him feel like himself not just a patient.
Years ago, it had occured to me that Darwin and Nietszhe agreed on one thing: the defining characteristic of the organism is striving. — Paul Kalanithi
Paul knew his words offer longevity that he did not. As much as he talked about death, he reminds me more about being alive. Paul shows us bravery and acceptance when he was battling the cancer. He also left your heart warmed after showing you his love deeply for Cady and Lucy. You cannot walk away from this book after finish it being the same person.
*To make your heart a bit lighter: Paul lived long enough to see Cady, his daughter.
