Mitch Albom's "For One More Day"

Last night my wife and I watched “For One More Day,” an Oprah Winfrey movie production of the book by that title by Mitch Albom (I read the book a couple years ago so knew what I was getting into). The essence of the movie is that a son, Chick Benetto is the character's name, always seeks his father’s approval and affirmation, even though his dad is hard on him and eventually leaves his mother and the family before he is a teenager. Yet even when he is in college or even after he has retired from pro baseball, his dad shows up and the son does whatever he asks. And "Chick Benetto" lives his whole life trying to win his father's approval. When he almost dies in a car accident, drunk and ready to shoot himself anyway, he realizes that all this time his mother did everything for him and he would give anything “for one more day” to tell her how much he loves her… but she has been dead for nine years. The book/movie point to the desire of every boy to please his father, for the father to be proud of him and express that affirmation.

I would suggest that John Eldredge's books – Wild at Heart and its follow ups (criticized in some Christian circles) - are a good response to this reality. The reason that his books were such best-sellers in the Christian world in the mid 1990's and early part of this decade are because there is a large generation of men... including Christian men... who have experiences more like "Chick Benetto" in For One More Day than the biblical ideals of a father-son relationship.

A father-son relationship and a father-daughter relationship are different, though obviously there’s some common responsibilities. A son needs to hear a father express, “I’m proud of you, you did great,” and I feel so blessed that Dad Ibbotson did (and still does!) that regularly for me and my brothers. A daughter needs to know that her father cherishes and treasures and adores her… and when I see Dad Hunt and Sarah (or her sisters) you know that is true. We are sooooo blessed.

And since we don’t know if our baby is a boy or girl it got me thinking a little more last night… Amazingly, my dear wife listens to my philosophizing and appreciates it. That's all for now...