book review 7: the five people you meet in heaven

I have finished reading a book recently -- The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom.

In describing how Eddie reviewed his life episodes after death, Albom inserts the description of Eddie's various birthdays in between the reviews. An interesting technique to show "...But all endings are also beginnings. We just don't know it at the time."

In Eddie's meetings with 5 people in heaven, he reviewed his life, episode after episode. He learnt life lessons.

The lessons Eddie learnt are very meaningful:

1.
Sacrifice is a part of life. It's supposed to be. It's not something to regret. It's something to aspire to. Little sacrifices. Big sacrifices. A mother works so her son can go to school. A daughter moves home to take care of her sick father.

2.
Ain't you supposed to have peace when you die?
You have peace when you make it with yourself.

3.
Holding anger is a poison. It eats you from inside. We think that hating is a weapon that attacks the person who harmed us. But hatred is a curved blade. And the harm we do, we do to ourselves.

4.
Lost love is still love. It takes a different form, that's all. You can't see their smile or bring them food or tousle their hair or move them around a dance floor. But when those senses weaken, another heightens. Memory. Momory becomes your partner. You nurture it. You hold it. You dance with it. Life has to end. Love doesn't.