Six years ago today our life changed.
Shade was our pride and joy and crazy energetic black lab dog. And
at 16 and a half years old she went to Doggie Heaven.
Our loss was insurmountable with only one story being a helping
guide through our process of grief and remembrance.
Marley And Me tells the journey of one incredible golden lab and
the impact he has on a families existence. This vibrant tale
connected so well with us on multiple levels. We lived this.
Shade graced us with her joy in June of 1989. She exploded all over
the house with an energy and verve that made the place shudder.
Rules were to be mocked by this puppy and the laws of physics
defied. My wife and I were still in high school back then, and
whenever I accompanied her home after school we were always greeted
by Shade and the ever present saliva filled tongue. Her forceful
personality coupled with a slathering of dog spit told us more then
any words of how loved we were.
John Grogan, the teller of Marley's mischief, was a newlywed
newspaper writer who procured a puppy (or did Marley procure them?)
and quickly learned who really was in charge. Chaos and destruction
followed, along with many attempts to reign in his dogginess. As
the Grogan family expanded with the birth of their three children,
Marley continued on his merry way and infiltrated their hearts. And
cause much property damage.
As Shade grew up and became a responsible adult (yeah right), we
passed through high school and college and into civilian life.
After several years, we moved forward with our lives and started
planning our wedding. From the beginning, the inclusion of Shade in
the ceremony was mandatory. On a beautiful June day, set in our
idyllic backyard, our family and friends witnessed our wedding. And
Shade walked me down the aisle, letting out a big yawn right at the
start. Even with all her buddies and belly rubbers in attendance,
she just acted like it was a normal day on planet Earth. After all
everyone was really here to see her.
Age started to take its inevitable toll on Marley and causes much
distress to the Grogan family. Repeated trips to the vet become
more and more required. John and Jenny Grogan have to prepare
themselves and the children for the hard next step.
A horrible nosebleed afflicted Shade a month after our wedding,
derailing our honeymoon plans. After a slow, prolonged recovery,
she was never quite the same. The mischievous spark was ever in her
character, but the body was growing tired and weary of the
escapades.
The coda of Marley's journey occurred just before New Year's and
left the family devastated. John Grogan turned to his column in the
Philadelphia Inquirer to pay tribute to the "world's worst dog."
After publication on Tues Jan 6, 2004, a flood of responses poured
in, giving him impetus to write Marley and Me. It became a
bestseller and is viewed by many as the On Death And Dying for pet
owners.
The beginning of Shade's next adventure also happened around New
Year's and brought much sorrow to us. With her body slowly growing
weaker, we took her to the vet one last time on Frid, Jan 13, 2006.
Seeking solace with each other, we then discovered Marley, and
slowly eased ourselves through our grief.
Massive success lead to more massive success for Marley and Me. A
movie version captured the essence and facts of the story and is a
worthwhile companion to the book. Various spinoffs rolled out,
including a YA novel (Marley, A Dog Like No Other), and a picture
book series (Marley and the Kittens).
We cleaned out Shade's belongings days later and started a mini
collection of books that reminded us of her craziness. We connected
with Remembering Farley by Lynn Johnston. Farley was the main dog
in the For Better Or For Worse newspaper comic strip who passed
away as well. The wonderful poems "Beau" by Jimmy Stewart and "The
Rainbow Bridge" were also very enlightening. For young children,
the picture book Dog Heaven by Cynthia Rylant became very touching
to us.
Grogan exemplified Marley's crazy and loving life with his book.
Telling tales of knocking over patio tables at cafes or destroying
the garage walls during thunderstorms. We felt like Marley and
Shade were comrades in arms. One time in the middle of the night
she decided that the really loud laughing squeaky toy just had to
be played with. Right now. Or the time she snuck into the kitchen
and licked my mashed potatoes, just laying on the plate. She gave
me a very innocent look when caught. No jury would have convicted.
The tales are many and quite legendary. Shade made an undeniable
impact on our lives, still felt even today.
So today we celebrate the life and excitement and joy that was
Shade. Thanks to the catharsis of Marley And Me, our healing has
been more complete. We can smile not cry now.
Shade and her slobbering saliva kisses would approve.
Scoopriches