Tuesday, April 8, 2008

'For One More Day'

I lead a double life. I am a book worm. If I had to be stranded on a deserted island, I would take a Borders bookstore. My perfect evening has a good book and a glass or two or three of wine in it. I have always been a reader. It’s the written word that seduces me. The written word and my husband- not usually together!

My mom-in-law recommended the book ‘for one more day’ by Mitch Albom. I had read ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ so I was familiar with the author. I had also seen the commercials for the movie that the book was made into. I put the book in my stack of books to read. I’m not sure why I avoided reading it for so long. I made every excuse. I had other authors to read, better books, I wasn’t interested in reading it, yada, yada, yada.

I finally gave in and read it. This is near the end.

“I also believe that parents, if they love you, will hold you up safely, above their swirling waters, and sometimes that means you’ll never know what they endured, and you may treat them unkindly, in a way you otherwise wouldn’t.

But there’s a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother’s story, because hers is where yours begins.”

I cried.

I recommend reading it.

2 comments:

anonymous said...

wow. I don't think I can handle that book. Way too much there for me to take in.
But you and I and a bottle of wine and a stack of books should go on vacation somewhere someday. I agree that that sounds like the perfect evening. sadly tonight I have a glass of water and all of my books are chemistry texts. ugh.

Leah said...

That just made ME cry!! I know as a mother, my children don't have the slightest clue half of what I do for them, or why I make the decisions I make for them, which means on the flip side, I'll never know exactly what MY mother did for ME, or fully understand all the decisions SHE made; but I have an appreciation now that I'm a mother, of what she was faced with when making those decisions and choices in life. Those paragraphs were beautifully written and "food for thought" for sure. Thanks for sharing that Cattigan