Marley and Me

I wanted to strongly recommend the book Marley and Me to all my dog-loving friends. Josh Grogan's heartfelt and hilarious account of the trials and tribulations of raising a barelling 97-pound golden lab is one of the best books I've read in a long time. His comical accounts of dog rearing are intertwined with his journey of creating a career and life for himself with his wife Jenny . From the touching account of how Marley paused from his rambunctous nature to rest his head in Jenny's lap after her miscarriage.....to the hilarious account of how Marley, tied to a table at an outdoor cafe took off, table and all, in pursuit of a poodle.. makes you fall in love with the spontaneous and loyal nature of man's best friend. Through every stage of Marley's life, we are reminded of what it was like to raise our own dogs: the unpredictable destruction, the tales of public embarassment, and evidence of divine loyalty. There's a famous quote I love by an unknown author: "My goal in life is to become the person my dog thinks I am." Josh Grogan's simple telling of his thirteen years spent with Marley are deeply affecting. The image of him sleeping on the floor downstairs in a sleeping bag next to Marley when Marley couldn't climb the stairs anymore speaks volumes about the profound love we feel for our furry family members. Dogs teach us to slow down, to take long walks and to enjoy the outdoors. They teach us about selflessness and unwavering loyalty. They don't care if you are rich or poor, if you are popular or not, they just give you their heart everytime you walk through the door. I recommend this book, not only for its beautiful storytelling, but more importantly because I think we can all learn a thing or two from the unconditional friendship and love offered to us by dogs.