Between the Covers: Stories from My Bookcase

Sunday, July 25, 2010

For One More Day

Mitch Albom has a number of best-selling works, known to provoke introspection, and give inspiration. For One More Day is one of those.

I read the book in 2007, a looooong time ago. There's a movie adaptation and it's currently being shown in the Hallmark Channel. I'm afraid I've missed parts of the movie because I keep nodding off. Not because the movie is boring, but because it's late, and I'm just generally sleepy at this time of day. Haha. :)

I thought I'd go ahead and re-post my thoughts from the time I read the book:

"When someone is in your heart, they're never truly gone. They can come back to you, even at unlikely times."

I find this true. And I believe this to be true. I believe that Chick Benetto did spend one more day with his mom. One day to answer all his questions (without him even asking), one day to give him clarity - to show him where he should go.


I've never gone through anything similar, but we were witness to my grandmother going through it. Oh, she was very much alive then, but she was seeing spirits who were waiting to take her to the next life.


It gives me comfort to know that in the end, Lola was not alone in her journey to her God. And it was even more comforting that she may not have had to go with the angel of death, like Nicolas Cage was in City of Angels, but with family and friends who have gone before her. Her kindred. It comforts me, I admit, to believe that when my time comes, she will be there guiding me through too.


I don't know what the author meant by writing Chick's story. Is it, as many think, to remind us not to waste our time? Was it to teach kids to appreciate and get to know their parents' stories? Yeah, I get all that, but what was more striking to me is this: the heartstrings that transcend life and death.


I'd like to believe that I'm the kind of person who would not wish to spend one more day with anyone, because I give of myself so freely to the people that I love, while I can. A lesson I learned when we lost my Aunt. I am not wishing for the impossible, for her to come back to life just so we can show her how much we love her. But I am looking forward to that one more day with her because I know it will come. She'll be there with my grandma when my time comes.


"You need to keep people close. You need to give them access to your heart."


I guess this is what's most important. After all, no man is an island.

(reposted from my Vox blog: http://verabear.vox.com/library/post/for-one-more-day.html)

3 comments:

zoan said...

hello Vera, it's me zoan/jongskie, i am a Mitch ALbom fan, and i super love his books.. this is one of his best-selling and i wasn't able to watch the movie.. you can visit my other site too : http://farmgirlblogger.blogspot.com

thanks

Vera said...

Hi Zoan!

Yes, I loved this book, super. I want to read it again but can't find my copy anymore. Hehe.

zoan said...

woooh, asan na kaya yun? baka naman may humiram? yung sa akin andtio pa naman sa book case ko, in case gusto ko ulit basahin ehehe