Wednesday, January 20, 2010

What touches your heart?


Well... besides my Baby Adelynn and Joel my Favorite read in the whole world.



The book is by Mitch Albom
titled: The five people you meet in Heaven


Let me tell you why I love this book...

I love this book because it talks about how everyone in this world is connected even if we don't realize it. I love what this particular paragraph says about life and death, it really makes you think.

"Do you ever wonder why people gather when others die?
Why do people feel they should? Its because the human spirit knows, deep down, that all lives intersect. That death doesn't just take someone, it misses someone else, and in the small distance between being taken and being missed, lives are changed."

I had never thought about it that way... to me it makes sense.
Birth, death, life, All have a connection it has a

balance.

It goes on in the chapter to an example of "Eddie" the main character. Eddie is brought face to face with a man in heaven that he barely remembers from his childhood and is not sure why,

that now in the after life he must meet with him.

As he speaks with the man Eddie is brought to a remembrance of a what seemed like a small instance to him in his life but was life changing to this man before him.
In this memory eddie was a child throwing a baseball with some friends, but as it so happened on this day, in this memory, he threw it too far and it landed in the street and Eddie being a child, ran after it into on coming traffic & was barely missed by a driver.

Eddie at that exact moment whether he knew it or not had changed another mans life.

Eddie walked away from that, back to his friends with the baseball that he had so carelessly retrieved.
Never understanding or noticing what had happened.

But what had happened to the driver?



What Eddie never noticed was this, that the driver had swerved and missed Eddie and being an old man like he was he had a heart attack from the adrenaline rush of the incident.
He died minutes later.

Eddie then realizes after hearing the mans side of what happned that day, that the person speaking before him is that
old man.
& he must reconcile.



Is it fair what happened?

I love what the old man goes on to say about fairness in life.


"Fairness does not govern life and death. If it did, no good person would ever die young."

As the story progresses the man that Eddie had affected,
forgave him quickly.
And then went on to reminded him that no man is an island.
We all touch one another lives everyday even in small ways.

Nobody is truly alone.

I love that story. As sad as it is, it reminds me that we all have a place and purpose & nothing is exactly random.


& I always feel after reading this book, that I need to look outside myself more and know that what I do affects others for good or for bad. I need to be better. Speak more kind words.


What has touched your heart lately?

5 comments:

nate and amy crandell said...

Hey Autumn! I don't know if you remember me from school or not but I found you from Angela's blog..anyWAYS your baby is ADORABLE and I Love her name it's so pretty! Glad I found you hope you are doing well :)

Vegan Valerie said...

That book made me cry! And actually, I'm certain that Brian and Jodi gave us our copy! Thanks Mom and Dad! :)

It IS a very good book--very introspective. And I like to be introspective, so it sits well with me.

Love you, Autumn!

(And I'm loving your new blog title and header photograph!)

heidi said...

Mitch Albom is hands down my favorite author. Side note: He is from Michigan! Anyways, I have to say I like Tuesdays with Morrie better, but 5 people is an amazing book. It explains the plan of salvation perfectly to the world, without people realizing it. The quotes you used from the book are one of the best ones. You have no inspired me to read his books again! Thanks.

heidi said...

My food blog is http://fabulousfoodfinder.blogspot.com/

I add new recipes all the time, so check back often. Most of these recipes I stole from others too so sharing recipes is the best.

crunchyveganwifelife said...

I adore that book, I read it years and years ago. I truly believe that we should be aware of everyone around us at all times. It is so important to acknowledge everyone, even if it is for just a moment. Kindness is an untapped commodity these days, we should use it freely! The things that touch my heart are my children being kind to the elderly, my husband reaching out for me in the middle of the night because I moved to far away, and friends that truly listen to what I have to say.