In life, we all lose people who are near and dear to our hearts. Quite often, they depart unexpectedly, depriving us of the opportunity to say our goodbyes. Mitch Albom’s novel For One More Day is a tale about a person who is given a chance to spend one final day with a loved one who has passed away.
The book’s main character is a professional baseball player named Charles “Chick” Benetto. After Chick retired from the sport, his life takes a turn for the worse. He has trouble finding meaningful work and loses touch with his family. After sinking into a deep depression, Chick decides to commit suicide by jumping off of a water tower. However, something unusual happens when he takes the plunge. Instead of dying, he awakens on a baseball field. On the field, he spots his mother, who died a decade before. When she asks Chick to spend one more day with her, he agrees and decides to make the most of this opportunity to get to know her better.
Chick’s father left home when he was in the 5th grade, and he initially blamed his mother. Yet as they run errands together on this special day, Chick sees his mother from a new perspective. He discovers his father left them because he was having an affair with another woman. Chick comes to appreciate the many sacrifices that his mother made for him. He also begins to forgive himself for all of the mistakes he’s made in his own life. At the end of the day, Chick becomes conscious again and manages to survive his suicide attempt. Even though Chick dies of a strokefive years after this incident, he uses his final years to coach children’s sports and reconnect with his family.
