Vocabulary in Tuesdays with Morrie

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a fatal disease that progressively destroys the nerve cells controlling muscles, leaving the mind intact while the body loses all ability to move.

A doctor who specializes in diseases of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and muscles.

Short, memorable sayings that express a general truth or piece of wisdom, often used by Morrie as compact life lessons.

A permanent, guaranteed position at a university that a professor earns after years of satisfactory work, making it very difficult to be dismissed.

The academic study of human society, social behavior, and the institutions and relationships that shape how people live together.

A long, formal research paper required to earn a doctoral degree, representing an original contribution to a field of study.

A common name for ALS, named after the famous baseball player who died from it; a progressive, incurable disease that destroys motor neurons.

To waste away or shrink from lack of use or from disease; here used to describe muscles gradually losing their function as ALS advances.

A speech given at a funeral or memorial service that praises and celebrates the life of the person who has died.

A late-night American television news program on ABC; Morrie's appearance on it reconnects him with the author and brings him wider public attention.

A state of emotional distance or separation from one's feelings or circumstances, allowing a person to observe them without being overwhelmed.

A small, portable Japanese charcoal grill used for cooking food; referenced as part of a simple, pleasurable meal Morrie imagines.

Extremely thin and weak due to illness or lack of food; used to describe Morrie's body as ALS progressively wastes it away.

A medical procedure using a tube to clear mucus from a patient's throat and airway when they can no longer cough it out themselves.

Excessively self-absorbed and focused on one's own needs, image, or desires to the point of ignoring others; used to describe a cultural tendency Morrie criticizes.

Focusing the mind quietly and deliberately, often to achieve calm awareness; Morrie uses it to detach from his physical suffering and observe his emotions.

Used figuratively here to mean absorbing knowledge or feeling gradually and naturally, without direct effort, as if it seeps in on its own.

No longer close or in contact with someone who was once important; describes a relationship that has grown distant or broken off over time.

To restore a friendly or peaceful relationship after a conflict or period of distance; Morrie urges making peace with people before it is too late.

A state of mental or emotional strain caused by opposing forces or unresolved conflict; used to describe the inner struggle between accepting death and clinging to life.

A type of care focused on comfort and quality of life for people who are dying, rather than on curing their illness.

To become progressively worse in condition; used to describe the steady physical decline of Morrie's body as his disease advances.

To feel deep sorrow over a loss; Morrie deliberately allows himself to grieve each morning for his condition before choosing to focus on living.

The shared values, habits, and beliefs that define how a society operates; Morrie uses this word critically to mean the dominant American way of life he sees as shallow and self-centered.

To give one's time, energy, or attention fully and consistently to a person, cause, or activity; used in the context of choosing what truly matters in life.