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For One More Day


Don't we always wish we had just one more day to say good-bye? To hug those who loved us, to say our final words in the face of tragedy, to leave our regrets behind, reach out to those who we havent' spoken to in years. In the novel, For One More Day by Mitch Albom, the main character is given that one chance to say good-bye or maybe, just to appreciate what he did have in life.

This is my motivational letter to the character half way through the novel, because it just seemed like he wasn't going to be around to have one more day.

Dear Charles “Chick” Benetto,

You don’t know me, but I’m reading your story in the book, For One More Day by Mitch Albom and you are one very unlucky character. Your life has been filled with alcohol and regret. You’ve lost your job, your family and your daughter didn’t invite you to her wedding for fear you might be an embarrassment to her. Hearing this after the fact you tried to kill yourself on a late night drive to your hometown, but you didn’t even accomplish that. You walked away from the car accident you caused where another person was hurt or possibly dead. After walking for a very long time you reach your childhood destination, your childhood home.

Now, you are eating the breakfast your mother has prepared for you, but your mother died eight years earlier. Chick, you need to get a grip here! Either you are really dead lying somewhere on the road or you are in a coma in your own version of the Twilight Zone. If you happen to be in a coma you better get yourself straightened out and get back to the land of the living.

When someone dies it’s not about what they take with them, it’s what they leave behind that matters. You haven’t done a very good job of leaving anything memorable or worthwhile to those who love you.

Chick! You’ve got a lot of living to do, so let’s say you get on with it. I sure would like the book to have a happy ending for you.

**Note - Mitch Albom is the author of Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven. His website is www.albom.com


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  1. thewriterslifeFebruary 1, 2010 at 11:34 AM

    Becky, I absolutely loved this! I've not read the book but now I really want to!

    ReplyDelete

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