This decision guides him into many mistakes like not caring about his mother and his family, mistakes of his lies to his mother, especially when he lies to his mother
before the time his mother gets heart attack and takes her life. He feels so sorry of being not caring to his mother, forgetting her advices
about family and the biggest is the mistake of not being a good father for the family. He often blames the members of the family for the mistake he does.
Chick states that at that time he lowers his head. He wants a drink in the worst way. He can feel his mother’s eyes. He can hear her fingers kneading Rose’s hair.
Of all the things he feels disgraced about in front of his mother, being a lousy father is the worst Albom 88.
4.4.2 Being More Appreciative Life
The story in the novel reveals that Chick Benetto tries to end his life in three different ways. As I mention above in Chick’s personality, he commits to
end his life because the lonely, depression and desolation feelings. However we can see that his mother makes him act different ways after the one day meeting
with him. At first he feels ashamed of the attempts to take his life. Now, he recognizes that his life is so precious. It is so precious for both him and his
mother. He can hear his mother’s echo in his thought by stating, “When it’s quiet, I can hear my mother‘s echo still. I feel ashamed now that I tried to take my life. It
is such a precious thing Albom 193.”
His understanding of the precious life is added by his mother’s story before she is pregnant. She should wait for three years to have him in the womb.
People around her think that it must be something wrong with her because three years marriage without children is considered long time. Then she prays to God
by carving a tree as her prayer. Then she believes that her prayer is answered. Therefore, she believes that Chick is really a wish granted from God. Chick states
“I wanted to cry. A wish granted? How long had it been since anyone referred to me as anything close to that? I should have been grateful. I should have been
ashamed of how I’d turned my back on my life Albom 73.” Chick wants to cry when his mother tells the story to him. He should have
been grateful of his life. Now he knows why his mother always wants to be close to him. It is no more because she believes that Chick is really a gift for her. Again,
he remembers that he already wants to end his life and he feels ashamed of it. The anger, lonely, guilty feeling and desolation are the reasons why Chick
wants to end his life. When he already gives up, his mother comes. She touches him in his deep heart and strengthens him not to give up anymore. He should face
life whenever and wherever it is. She reminds Chick that he still has a mother where he can always go and be accepted. She is always being with him and he
needs not to be ashamed to act as child forever. “I wanted it to stop, Mom… this anger, this guilt. That’s why…. I wanted
to die…” I lifted my eyes, and, for the first time I admitted the truth.
“I gave up,” I whispered.
“Don’t give up,” she whispered back. I buried my head then. I am not ashamed to say it. I buried my head in my
mother’s arms and her hands cradled my neck Albom 187. The awareness of the precious life is followed by the awareness of
precious time. During his life, Chick does not appreciate the precious price of time. Now, he realizes that he often wastes the time as he spends it carelessly. He
has an advice again from his mother about the connection between life and time. Life goes quickly because human being wastes the time.
“Life goes quickly, does not it, Charley?” “Yeah,” I mumbled.
‘It’s such a shame to waste time. We always think we have so much of it.” I thought about the days I handed over to a bottle. The nights I couldn’t
remember. The mornings I slept through. All the time spent running from myself Albom 151-152.
It is such a shame that he also does the same to waste the time by drinking alcohol, sleeping in the morning and all of the time which is already gone from his
life. However, he feels gratitude that his mother makes him realizes about it again.
4.4.3 Being More Open to Others
His mother’s re-appearance makes Chick realizes of the importance to have some people who have close relationship with him. He remembers that it is
already long time that somebody wants to be close to him. His mother reminds him of the feeling of being noticed. She cares about him by cleaning and treating
his wounds. Furthermore, she treats him with her love.
