I just finished reading The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom (@mitchalbom).

As with all his novels, Albom weaves his lesson adeptly throughout the characters, especially that of Frankie Presto and his musical gift. Uniquely narrated by music, the narrator provides us through Frankie, many opportunities to understand the many gifts we each posses and the role that these gifts have in shaping our lives.

The message that resonated with me is that we all, at different points in our lives, join a band. Our band members may change and our musical tastes may change, but in the end we all play to our own music and the various band members we play with help create our sound.

“Everyone joins a band in this life. And what you play always affects someone. Sometimes, it affects the world.”-Mitch Albom

Whether playing a solo piece or a rambunctious melody, the lesson that was evident throughout was that we never truly understand the impact that people have on our lives nor do we truly understand the impact that we have on others. Our relationships need to be sacred and we need to be cognizant of the potential impact we have on others. We may not be fully aware that we are members of someone else’s band, but we need to be aware that as we navigate life, we support, intentionally or not, the music of others.

“You cannot unplay your notes. Time, like music, is indelible that way.” -Mitch Albom

Although I enjoyed the message about how our lives are so interconnected with others, I have yet to read a Mitch Albom novel that has impacted me the way that Tuesdays with Morrie did. Tuesdays with Morrie captured my heart and set the bar high for any of Albom’s subsequent efforts!