the first five people you meet in heaven

So Eddie goes back into the diner and makes amends with his father. She tells Eddie that he needs to forgive his father for all that he blamed him for. You may think anger will act as a weapon toward others, but it only hurts you. Ruby tells Eddie that he should learn from this story that holding onto anger is poisonous. Even though Eddie’s father had planned to hurt Mickey, he ultimately chose to save his life when he saw him fall into the ocean unconscious.

Mickey had gotten drunk and tried to kiss Eddie’s mother. Ruby shows Eddie the real reason for his father’s death: Eddie’s father jumped into the ocean to save his friend Mickey Shea. When Eddie decided to move home to take care of his mother, he blamed his father for all of his disappointment at being stuck in Ruby Pier. Eddie was disappointed in his father’s unheroic death. He eventually died of pneumonia after coming home drunk and wet from the ocean. On Eddie’s thirty-third birthday, Eddie’s mom called him to tell him that his father had collapsed and gone to the hospital. That was the last time his father ever spoke to him. One night, Eddie grabbed his father’s fist, instead of letting him hit Eddie like normal. He would beat Eddie and his brother, Joe. Over the course of his life, Eddie’s father damaged him through neglect, then violence, then silence. Eddie’s FatherĪll children become damaged to some degree by their parents. Eddie learns to forgive his father, and himself. One of the major The Five People You Meet in Heaven themes is forgiveness. The Five People You Meet in Heaven themes can help you understand concepts like life, love, and happiness. The Five People You Meet in Heaven: Themes Read more about the most important The Five People You Meet in Heaven themes. In The Five People You Meet in Heaven, themes like forgiveness and regret are explored. But when he dies saving a little girl, his journey to Heaven reveals much more. The main character, Eddie, is an angry old man. What are major The Five People You Meet in Heaven themes? What can these themes teach you about love, life, and happiness? Like this article? Sign up for a free trial here. Shortform has the world's best summaries of books you should be reading. This article is an excerpt from the Shortform summary of 'The Five People You Meet In Heaven' by Mitch Albom.

The first five people you meet in heaven