Book Review: For One More Day

Title: For One More Day

Author: Mitch Albom

Genre: Fiction, Inspirational (really unsure of the genre actually)

Publication date: September 2006

Pages: 197

Source: Bought it

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Synopsis:

It tells the story of Charley “Chik” Benetto, a former baseball player whose life is closing to hit rock bottom: alcohol addiction, loses his job, and family problems.  When he discovers that his daughter didn’t invite him to her own wedding, he attempts to commit suicide.  On his way home to his home childhood hometown, his car spins out of control, causing Chick to be knocked unconscious.  As a result of the accident, he goes back in time to spend one last day with his late mother.

Thoughts:

This was such an amazing yet heart-wrenching book.  I was hoping that I wouldn’t get too emotional while reading this, but I did  . 

As a child, Charley “Chick” Benetto was told by his father, “You can be a mama’s boy or a daddy’s boy, but you can’t be both.” So he chooses his father, only to see the man disappear when Charley is on the verge of adolescence.  Honestly, no child should have to choose between his/her parents, or live with the consequence of making the wrong decision and unfortunately, that’s the burden that Charlie has to live with—vying for his father’s affection while shunning his mother’s love and affection until it’s too late.

“Have you ever lost someone you love and wanted one more conversation, one more chance to make up for the time when you thought they would be here forever? If so, then you know you can go your whole life collecting days, and none will outweigh the one you wish you had back.”

Okay, my parents are still alive and I have a great relationship with both of them, so it wasn’t really something I could relate to.  However, I think this book really forces you to reflect on yourself.  As humans, we seem to naturally have the desire for something or someone we don’t/can’t have. Moreover, we often have a knack of taking those around us for granted, simply because they have been there for us one too many times. And then, we only realize our mistakes when it’s too late.  After reading this, I honestly believe that our parents are the ones that we take granted for the most—we sometimes don’t realize the sacrifices that they make, just for us to be happy.  I know we don’t always see eye to eye with our parents and usually some kids end up hating or being upset with their parents because they can’t get their way; however, it’s the thought that counts.  All they want is the best for you, which sometimes maybe not always be a good idea (i.e overbearing parents), but they are our parents and it’s because they love us too much.

“When you look into your mother’s eyes, you know that is the purest love you can find on this earth.”

The book also taught me the unconditional love of a mother, and how it is the purest form of love. No matter what happens, what you think or what you’ve done and no matter how much you argue, your mom will still be the person who can understand you.  This to me holds true because of past experiences. I’ve gotten into really petty arguments with my mom during my adolescent years-and you already know how teenagers are when it comes to their parents. But despite all that, my mom, (also my dad) only wanted what’s best for me and will love and support me no matter what. I can say that my parents taught me well.  After reading this book all I wanted to do was run up to my mom and dad give them hugs and tell them how much I love them. Honestly, I could not imagine a world without them. Moreover, the phrase “Life is short” is sometimes used too loosely, but with this book, it makes you ponder about the deep and real true meaning, and how important it is to appreciate the moments you spend with your loved ones. It reminded me the significance of valuing the relationships in our lives, especially those with our parents.  And even though I didn’t have a similar childhood like Charley, I would say I learned and reflected a lot with this book. Therefore, I would definitely recommend it for anyone especially if you want “food for thought” or just want a simple well-constructed story.  Oh and if you’re emotional like me, I suggest to have a box of Kleenex near you while reading this.