his heaven vs my heaven

Mitch Albom's heaven consisted of a better understanding of your life on earth. My heaven consist of God explaining what my life was. My heaven is filled with angels and golden paved streets and complete serenity. Not to say Mitch Albom's heaven is wrong because who really knows what heaven is like until we get there? I like Albom's perspective that heaven is learning place. Infact i feel that in some ways it is. But who is to say what is heaven and what is not?

Now that I have read the book, I want others to,I have encouraged at least 2 other people to read it so they can get something out of it. What I got out of it was that anything you do can affect someones life and that my life is fruitful. Everyone has a purpose and sometimes it may take 5 people to describe it to you.

To enhance my understanding of the book I even watched the movie to see if they shared similar plot lines. The movie gave me a visual of what was going on in the book which helped my understanding of certain parts. I highly recommend seeing it, if you have read the book. They have similar plot lines and enhances your visual understanding :)

the fifth and final lesson

This lesson is by far the most important in Eddie's life. Eddie finds out that he did save the little girl at the amusement park, however he let another little girl die in his prior military years. However, the girl, Tala, happens to be the fifth person he meets in heaven and she tell him that his life working at Ruby pier was significant because he was in charge of keeping the children safe. All the people he meet in heaven were connected to Eddie in some way and they all had similar lessons: life is significant.

the fourth lesson

The fourth lesson has something to deal with love never dying.
When you love someone, truely love someone, that love never fades nor goes away..or at least it shouldn't. People now a days look a love as just a simple four letter word, when in reality it's much more. When Marguerite died Eddie was angry that she died and left him alone. When she became his fourth lesson in heaven, he discovered that love should never die, even if the person is gone.

the third lesson

So i have come to the conclusion that this book is by far one of the best.
Just sayin...

The third lesson in the book is probably my favorite because it is the lesson of forgiveness: something many people today struggle with (including myself). Eddie discovered the woman and story behind the Ruby pier. The ruby pier amusement park was created in consideration for a man who cherished his wife and to forever remember the place he proposed to her. The constant theme of "connection" is very dominant in this book. Ruby Pier was the place both Eddie and his father were employeed. Neither of them were happy with that position however we later learn Eddie was working there for a reason. The main lesson that was learned from Ruby was the lesson of forgiveness. Eddie didn't feel that his father loved him as a child therefore he hated him for ruining his life. Even after his father died he still hated him. He thought he died on purpose to make him continue working at Ruby Pier but he later found out his father died saving another man. Later he learned to forgive his father. Forgiveness is the best gift you could give someone.

The second lesson

The second lesson Eddie learned was from his prior captain in the military. It's intersting because Eddie leanrs that his captain died saving him. (which is somewhat similar to the blue man) Something that really caught my attention in this section is when Eddie questions the captian about time. the captain responds by saying dying isn't what you think and how what happens on earth is only the beginning (that kind of connects to the first chapter which is titled "The End". Interesting.) The captain also uses the stellar analogy of Adam from the bible and how he lies down the first night not expecting to wake up because he doesn't know what sleep is. He wakes up the next morning and he has a fresh new world to work with. He has his yesterday. The captain connects this with Eddie's life telling him that heaven is a place for better understanding of his yesterdays. The basic lesson for Eddie was sacrifice. There shouldn't be regrets for sacrifices and everyone should make them.