I remember that I used to be terrified of dogs when I was younger. I can recall this day as if it was yesterday. I was around the age of six or seven when my older sister had brought over her German Shephard, Nina, over our house and I was so excited because that’s first memory I had of actually being near a dog. But what was once excitement soon turned into fear when all of a sudden Nina launched towards me and scratched the inside of my left forearm. I remember running as fast as I could away from the creature and into the arms of my father, I was in tears and in so much pain. I was so confused in that moment because I would constantly hear the phrase “dogs are a man’s best friend,” if so, why was I just attacked by one for no reason. And from that moment on I thought I would never like dogs again. I believed them all to be vicious and cruel animals and I never went near one for the longest time.

            We all know the famous movie Marley and Me, probably one of the saddest movies ever in my humble opinion, and that movie was able to portray the love that all owners have for their dogs and then put it on the big screen for the whole world to see. It was set in the early 90’s as the newly married couple John and Jenny Grogan had decided to uproot their lives and move from Michigan to sunny South Florida, West Palm Beach to be more exact. They were young and thrilled to start their new careers in an exciting new environment. Typically for most young couples, the wife is usually ready to begin a family as soon as possible, but in the movie John explains to his close friend Sebastian his unsureness of starting an actual family at the moment. Sebastian gives him the idea of adopting a little puppy for Jenny to help prepare them for the new responsibilities that they might be taking on soon and that’s exactly what John does. He takes his wife Jenny to look for new puppies and they fall upon the little golden retriever that they eventually end up taking home and then name him Marley. If you’ve ever owned a dog then you would understand that it takes a lot of work and patience and that’s exactly what the Grogan needed once they got Marley.

            The first time I saw this movie I was watching it with my oldest sister in her room. I was still on my anti-dog kick so when she suggested the movie I wasn’t all too excited but I gave in because at the time I was probably nine years old so I didn’t really have anything else better to do. I sat there watching the young couple go through so many obstacles and through it all Marley was there for them to provide love, comfort, and of course humor through his many shenanigans. Seeing Marley act like a crazy, fun-loving dog reminded me of how compassionate and amazing dogs actually are. It was like Marley had a sixth sense because whenever Jenny or John were having a bad day all it took was for Marley to do some outrageous act that got the both of them out of their funk and the cute, not-so-little anymore, lab was able to lift their sprits every time. Throughout the movie, Marley was there for all the experiences, from the many house moves to their three kids.

One of one my favorite scenes from the movie was when Jenny and John brought home their first child Patrick. They were a little hesitant because throughout the movie Marley loved to run around the house and knock down everything, from books to chairs to little coffee tables, and so the thought of bringing home a newborn baby around a very hyperactive dog was nerve-racking for the new parents. John decides to walk in first and he takes Marley to back yard to give him a speech about how there’s a new member in the family and at the moment the new member is very delicate and needs to be handled with care. Once John is finished with their little talk, he walks Marley back into the house where he is able to meet little Patrick, whom Jenny is holding tight against her chest, for the first time. The scene is so cute and touching because Marley looks on Patrick as if he’s this delicate new toy and he already knows that he needs to be gentle whenever around the little baby, though that wasn’t always the case throughout the baby’s childhood.

            At the time of watching this movie I has just recently transferred to a different school because I was experiencing bullying at my previous institution. I was not only having a hard time recovering from the trauma of being bullied but at the same time I was trying to get used to my new environment and it was very difficult. On top of the fact that I am an extremely shy person, my new school was quite small and everyone there had known each other since Pre-K, so it was quite difficult trying to make new friends. Watching the movie reminded me of caring and loving dogs are and how they provide a friendship like no other. I went to my parents the next day and explained how I was having trouble adjusting to my new school and that I felt a dog would help me, they eventually agreed and the next day we went to the pet store and adopted a mix-bred Poodle and I gave her the name Mindy. She was amazing and everything that I needed at the time. I no longer felt alone anymore because I finally had a friend, even though this friend walked on four legs and was hairy all over, that didn’t matter to me.