{EN} Marley, a dog like no other – John Grogan
1. „In a dog’s life, some plaster would fall, some cushions would get ripped open, some rugs would shred. They were costs we came to balance against the joy and laughter and protection and companionship he gave us. We could have bought a yacht with what we spent on our dog and all the things he destroyed. We’d take Marley any day. Yachts don’t wait by the door all day for your return. And they don’t live for the moment they can climb into your lap or ride down the hill with you on a toboggan, licking your face.”
2. „To Marley, I hope you know how much I loved you all of my life. You were always there when I needed you. Through life or death, I will always love you. Your brother, Conor Richard Grogan. Coleen drew a picture of a girl with a big yellow dog and beneath it, with spelling help from her brother, she wrote, P.S. – I will never forget you.”
3. „Every night for thirteen years, Marley was waiting for me at the door when I came home from work. Walking in now at the end of the day was the most painful part of all. The house seemed silent and empty. It was not quite home any more. Jenny vacuumed like a fiend, trying to get up the bucketfuls of Marley fur that had been falling out in giant clumps for the past couple of years. Slowly the signs of the old dog disappeared. One morning I went to put on my shoes, and inside them I found a layer of Marley fur. It had been picked up by my socks from walking on the floors and gradually deposited inside my shoes. I just sat and looked at it. I actually stroked it with two fingers and smiled.”
4. „No one ever called him a great dog – or even a good dog. He was as wild as a banshee and as strong as a bull. He crashed joyously through life with a gusto most often associated with natural disasters. As for brains, let me just say he chased his tail till the day he died, apparently convinced he was on the verge of a major canine breakthrough. (…)
What I really wanted to say was how this animal had touched our souls and taught us some of the biggest lessons of our lives. A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours, I wrote. Marley taught me about living each day to the fullest. He taught me to seize the moment and follow my heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things like a walk in the woods or a fresh snowfall. Mostly, he taught me how to be a good, loyal friend.
Was it possible for a dog – any dog, but especially a nutty, wild one like ours – to point humans to the things that really mattered in life? Things like loyalty, courage and devotion. And the things that did not matter, too? A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes. A waterlogged stick will do just fine. A dog judges others not by how they look but by who they are inside. A dog doesn’t care if you are rich or poor, smart or dull. Give him your heart, and he will give you his. It was really quite simple.
As I wrote that farewell column to Marley, I realised it was all right there in front of us if we only opened our eyes. Sometimes it took a dog with stinky breath and bad manners to help us see what really counts in life. Despite all his flaws, Marley had given us a gift that no amount of money could buy. He gave us the gift of total, complete love. He taught us how to give it and how to accept it. When you have love, most of the other pieces fall into place.”
O contributie Roxa