The Perfect Day (Tuesdays with Morrie)

Morrie Schwartz with Mitch Albom

What would you do if you had one day perfectly healthy? What would you do?

"Let's see... I'd get get up in the morning, do my exercises, have a lovely breakfast of sweet rolls and tea, go for a swim, then have my friends come over for a nice lunch. I'd have them come one or two at a time so we could talk about their families, their issues, talk about how much we mean to each other.

"Then I'd like to go for a walk, in a garden with some trees, watch their colors, watch the birds, take in the nature that I haven't seen in so long now.

"In the evening, we'd all go together to a restaurant with some great pasta, maybe some duck – I love duck – and them we'd dance the rest of the night. I'd dance with all the wonderful dance partners out there, until I was exhausted. And then I'd go home and have a deep, wonderful sleep."

That's it?

"That's it."

This was a question posed by Mitch Albom to his friend and mentor Morrie Schwartz his college professor who was dying of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease in his book, Tuesdays with Morrie. ALS is a rapidly progressive, invariably fatal neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells (neurons) responsible for controlling voluntary muscles.

In ALS, both the upper motor neurons and the lower motor neurons degenerate or die, ceasing to send messages to muscles. Unable to function, the muscles gradually weaken, waste away (atrophy), and twitch (fasciculations). Eventually, all muscles under voluntary control are affected, and patients lose their strength and the ability to move their arms, legs, and body. When muscles in the diaphragm and chest wall fail, patients lose the ability to breathe without ventilatory support. Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure.

And so it was... such a simple, average answer to his question. But, to someone who was stuck in a shell of a body, who could no longer walk or even sit up on his own. Who had to rely on the kindness of others to do the simplest of tasks for him... this was his wish – To be "normal" once again. To be what he was before ALS ravaged his body.

Sometimes I think we run around like chickens with our heads cut off. We bump into things and get angry and frustrated. Often we don't even realize what we're doing. We're stuck in the hamster wheel of life that goes round and round, but, in the end, gets us nowhere.

In the book I think Morrie suggests we get off that hamster wheel and re-evaluate our priorities. Slow down and breathe – exhale. Take the time to develop meaningful relationships with those we care about (and who care for us). Stop and smell the roses. Truly appreciate what you have. Give to those who don't have as much. Compassion given has a way of returning whence it came. Besides blessing the recipient, it will make you feel whole.

So, if you had one day left on earth... what would you do?