Better Than a Dog?

Comedy drama was never really my thing because I usually don't get a lot of out of them. I like action movies where I am engaged in non-stop bombardment for the duration of the movie but forget about the movie after it ends. Or, I like to watch movies that are thought provoking or introduce me to something new, where the impact of the movie stays with me for a long time, sometimes even life changing. To kill time and to try something different, I watched Marley & Me while I was in Taiwan. To my surprise, I have been thinking about the movie ever since I watched it. (What do I know! Try something new, learn something new!)

It was not the purchase of a clearance puppy, the behavior of a dog from hell, or even the acceptance of Marley by the entire family that captured my heart. It was the last quote of the movie that kept me wondering about our relationships, our friendships, and our impact on others. The quote goes: " A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A water log stick will do just fine. A dog doesn't care if your rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he'll give you his. How many people can you say that about? How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special? How many people can make you feel extraordinary?"

How many friends or family members do you have who are more accepting than dogs and will never judge you? How many friends or family members do you have who are more loving than dogs and will love you regardless of the circumstances that you face in life? How many friends or family members will give you their hearts and protect yours like a dog will with its seemingly innate loyalty? How many people in your life will only see you as nothing less than extraordinary? How many people, really? Isn't it sad that we don't have a lot of friends or family members that are better than dogs?

If you turn these questions around and ask yourself, "do you judge people that you love?", "do you love them regardless of their intelligence, material possessions, choices that they make for their lives?", "do you give your love ones your heart and protect theirs like the most precious gift that you have ever received?", "do you see your friends and family members as nothing less than amazing, pure, and extraordinary?", and "are you a better than a dog friend or family member for people that you love?" If you are not better than a dog for those people that you care for, can you imagine who you are for those that you don't truly love?

We crave so desperately for connection, relationships, and love but we are so unwilling to give up judgement, boundaries, and walls. Next time when we don't have the relationship of our dreams, maybe we should ask ourselves, "what are some qualities that man's best friend have that we lack?". The answer might provide us with some access to be a better than a dog friend or family member to those that we love and care for.