Marley & Me

Several years ago I purchased the book Marley & Me. I couldn't bring myself to read the book because I knew something bad would happen to Marley before the end of the book. I gave the book to my dad. Yes, he read the book but he admits when he got toward the end of the book, he let the book sit for several weeks before he finished reading it.

Many of us of a "Marley" in our lives. For me, I've had three "Marleys". The first one was our dog Duchess. We adopted her when I was in elementary school. She was an English Setter mix and by far the smartest dog I've ever met. Even though we lived on a very busy street, she was never tied up outside. She was shown her boundaries and she stayed within them. Well, except for the path she wore to the Mica's sliding door facing their backyard and then to the Lack's yard. These were the people Duchess visited and checked on everyday. But, she never crossed the street. She was not a mischievious dog like Marley but memories of her flooded back as the movie reached the end - and the end of Marley's life.

The other "Marley" in my life was our dog Palo. Again, Palo did not make trouble like Marley but the memories of Palo's final days were remembered as we saw Marley age. Palo was not a healthy dog and we went through a lot to keep her with us as long as we could. Everytime I hear a thunderstorm, I can't help but hope Palo has some good music to listen to to keep her calm. She feared thunderstorms - but she wasn't destructive like Marley.

The third "Marley" in my life is laying under my feet as I type. When he is hooked to a leash, he is just like Marley - the alpha dog! If (and this never happens) he were let loose outdoors, he would take off like Marley - but Duke would probably not return - he would run and run and run. The Duke rules this house. Although I like to think I'm the alpha dog - he definitely rules. I just picked up some plastic pieces that Duke thought he needed to chew. I'm not sure what the plastic pieces used to be but I'm thankful that's all he chewed. He has never destroyed furniture but our house now has only one room carpeted - because Duke thought he should chew up the carpet.

If you decide to go see Marley & Me, I would recommend a trip out to the bathroom when John takes Marley to the vet the 2nd time. Make sure you stop & refill your pop and popcorn before returning to your seat. That way you won't have to use a half a box of tissues to get through the end of the movie.