The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

One of the commitments I've made to myself is to read more for pleasure. I find myself in the rut of mindless television watching, going on autopilot and passively soaking in whatever junk is on the tube. In order to facilitate that change I've commited to reading at least one book a month for fun and posting reviews/recommendations. This month I sort of cheated; I actually listened to The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. The book was so powerful for me though that I really want to share it with others.

This novel, published in 2006, has sat in my library cue for at least a year. I heard of the book and was mildly interested but the timing of my actually listening to it was fortuitous. I truly believe we are given the gifts we need when we need them and this book was no exception. This book came to me at a time when I was craving affirmation that I was on the right track. Even if you aren't in search of comfort, I guarentee you will enjoy the story for the story itself.

Mitch Albom crafts the story of Eddie, a war veteran, who as a maintenance man at a seaside amusement park, feels his life is meaningless. The story details his life, from the optimistic youth of the man to his hardened and somewhat bitter old age. His life is filled with the mundane nature of his work, loneliness, and sadness.

The story begins on Eddie's 83rd birthday - when Eddie dies in an accident at the park. He dies trying to save a little girl from a falling ride cart. He awakens in the afterlife and learns that Heaven isn't quite what he expected: there's no lush Gardens of Eden or white, pearly gates. In this afterlife, Eddie's earthly life is explained to him by five people who were in it. In Albom's afterlife, these people may be those that you loved and cherished deeply, but not necessarily so. They are people whose lives have interesected yours; people who have been changed deeply by that intersection.

This novel is a beautifully written story about how we may not always know whose lives we change. Each of the five characters was altered dramatically by the interaction with Eddie. In some cases, he had no idea of the impact and only vaguely had a recollection of the actual person.

I think of the lessons in this story as I teach my students, help someone less fortunate than myself, or am just being kind to others. Do we ever really know the impact we have on others? I can honestly say I've made major changes in my life, most notably going back to college, due to an off handed comment of another. When I was a working, single mom of three kids I worked as an Office Manager at a local lumber company. Wes, a middle aged men who worked in the yard had to have back surgery and ended up on lifelong disability. As I was discussing the paperwork with Lee, one of the owners, he said "I'm not sure why he never thought to get an education. This job was fine for him when he was young but it's just not what an aging man should do. He could have gone to school while he had this job and have bettered his career."

Those few sentances really had an impact on me. At the time I was in my early 30's, recently divorced, and trying to figure out what to do with my life. I never really thought of a career (gave up a scholarship to attend U.S.C. to move back east with my husband). All I ever really wanted to be was Donna Reed - a stay at home mom. But life had different plans for me and, less than 3 years after moving back east, I was divorced with an 11, 6 and 2 year old. I knew I could never make the kind of money I wanted/needed working at the lumber yard but the thought of going to school wasn't really something that had dawned on me. But Lee's comment really impacted me. His observation was both true and profound. It really changed my life. I don't think I ever told him that. I think I need to let him know.

So think about that when you are talking with others. In my case, the comments had a powerful positive effect on my life. In the same sense, the negative words we use can have an equally negative impact. While thoughts and words flow readily from our lips, the reaction of the target is really what matters.