Mitch Albom is a best-selling author, screenwriter, journalist, and musician. His books have sold over 40 million copies worldwide. This year is the 25th anniversary of Tuesdays with Morrie — his most beloved book and one of the best-selling memoirs of all time. It’s about his relationship with a college professor. It’s about the wisdom of an old man and the curiosity of a young man.
What would you do if you answered the phone and it was your mother calling, even though she died years ago? What would you say? What would you talk about? That’s the premise of my book, The First Phone Call from Heaven. What would we say to those we no longer have the opportunity to speak with? What if we had another chance?
There is something about losing someone close that makes us take a closer look at ourselves. It gives us perspective, helps us see the big picture, makes us look at how we live. It’s something I learned when I wrote Tuesdays with Morrie. All those conversations we had at the end of his life helped me see myself with clarity. He inspired me to do more and be more.
The reaction I get from readers confirms that most of us need a jolt in our lives to get us to remember what’s really important.
People ask me why I always write about death. I don’t think I do. My books are about life. Death is just the lens that helps us focus on finding life’s true significance.
Doctors will tell you that people don’t start taking care of themselves until faced with some kind of crisis. It’s only then when many decide to clean up their diets and start to exercise. I feel like it’s the same with my writing. By talking about things like heaven and death, it pushes people to reconsider what’s important in life.
So, here’s my takeaway: Are you living the life you want? Are you asking the right questions in your conversations? Don’t wait until someone you care for is taken away. Pick up that phone, talk the talk, then walk the walk. Then you won’t need a phone call from heaven to get you to live the life you really should.
This article is featured in the October 2022 issue of The Growing Bolder Digital Digest.
