For one more day | An novel about grief and forgiveness
My mom loaned me the book for one more day by Tuesdays with Morrie author Mitch Albom. A simple looking book on the outside, I accepted it with excitement, as I do anytime someone gives me a book. The book jacket bluntly told me that this book was about grieving and regrets.
“If you had the chance, just one chance, to go back and fix what you did wrong in life, would you take it?†– James McBride, author
I gulped a little. Did I want to read something sad? Did I want to face those types of thoughts? Well, like any good daughter, I did what my mother asked of me and I read the book, despite my internal hesitation.
Readers will enjoy Albom’s conversational storytelling as he recounts the life of Charley “Chick†Benetto, a middle-aged man who has allowed his grief to send his life into a downward spiral after the death of his mother. Through flashbacks and hand-written notes, we learn about the many mistakes and decisions he made during his life and what ultimately drives him to consider taking his own life.
But mom comes to the rescue and Benetto gets to talk to his mother one more time and learn the lesson she always wanted him to learn – that love requires forgiving both ourselves and those we love.
I was reminded while reading it that we have to cherish the moments we have with those we love and when they are gone, we need to celebrate those moments. Talking about those we love, being honest about their lives, and sharing our love with them with others will keep them alive in our hearts.