Saturday, January 17, 2009

A Dog's Life

I sat in bed last night with tears rolling down my face. I felt as though I lost someone dear to me. I was almost weeping.

It was the sentence that read "You know all that stuff we've always said about you?" I whispered. "What a total pain you are? Don't believe it. Don't believe it for a minute, Marley. "

That was what started the tears as I reflected on my own pets in the past and the ones I love so much today.

I was finishing the book by John Grogan called Marley & Me. It was based on the true events involving his family and an out of control, lovable Labrador retriever.

I saw the movie and kind of knew what to expect from the book but I was pleasantly surprised that the book was somewhat different from the motion picture.

This book is a true look at John Grogan's dog. He doesn't glorify him into some kind of Benji or Lassie. He speaks honestly about the short comings of this crazy dog and how, in the end, he realized Marley was an important part of what his family was.

A couple of post down I wrote about George (click on "George" to go to post), my friend's yellow lab. Drop down and read it if you have a moment.

Pets bring so much joy and happiness into our lives and it's important that we remember this when they're being bad. It's even more important to remind them of how much they mean to us.


I would love to hear about any pet stories that anyone would like to share in my comments section.

6 comments:

Ashley Smith said...

Hello, I once had a puppy named Brandy, who would pee all over guests and all over the house...My mother got rid of her because of it. She was a pretty, excited, loving puppy. By the way I discovered your comment on the Coffee Shop, which led me to your blog.

Ashley

Rick's Time On Earth said...

Puppies seem to pee at the drop of hat, especially when excited. I guess that could stop friends from dropping by!

Unknown said...

I had a yellow lab named Duchess from age 9 until age 23. I'll probably see Marley and Me but I will do so in the comfort of my own home.

I remember the first night we brought Duchess home. She was so cute. My mom put her in the upstairs bathroom to be near our bedrooms while we slept. Since she was just a little pup, she wimpered most of the night keeping everyone awake. I got out of bed, took my pillow with me and slept in the bathroom with her. She laid beside me on the floor the whole night and didn't wimper. Everyone was able to get some ZZZs.

She was an awesome dog.

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jennifer said...

I suffer from depression, bipolar, and borderline personality disorder. When I'm severely depressed, the only thing that really brings me happiness is dogs, specifically puppies. When I was growing up, my family always had dogs. When I left for college, I felt so lost without a dog. I found out that the town I was going to school in had a pet store where you could go in and just grab whatever puppy you wanted to and play with it without stopping to ask someone. Every time I was sad or stressed out, I went and played with puppies. After college my boyfriend-turned husband-turned exhusband and I moved into an apartment, and from 2004 to 2008 we continued to live in apartments, so it was difficult to have pets. I desperately wanted a dog, but dogs just don't do good in second-story apartments. Finally after slipping so deep into depression that I considered suicide every day, I got a puppy named Oreo in summer 2007. He instantly improved my mental health. He made me happy when everything else kept crashing in around me. In January 2008, I bought a house in part just so Oreo could have a yard to play in. My husband and I separated in September, which probably would have devastated me, but I still had Oreo to help me through it. After the separation, I adopted my best friend's dog Pearlz that she couldn't keep anymore. And she has helped me too. I don't know where I'd be if it wasn't for those two dogs being there each day to cheer me up.

That was my very long-winded way of saying "I love dogs."

Rick's Time On Earth said...

Wow, thanks for sharing that. I see your story as a true example of how much love a pet could bring into our lives.

TC said...

I have my own Marley, only his name is Mugsey, as in the commercial some of these mugs may have bugs but there aint no bugs on me? He will always bring a smile to your face, unless he's done something really bad like jumping in my car totally covered in mud, thank goodness for leather seats.