Today I saw ‘Marley and Me’ again. It made me cry all over again.

The first time I saw the movie was at one of my closest friends’ place. I would more often than not stay over at his place and we would watch a movie or two till the wee hours of the mornings. On this particular night, he slept early and I, having difficulty sleeping even after talking till late hours, decided to watch some movies on his computer. I remembered he had told me few days earlier that he had downloaded the movie. I had planned to watch it when it came to the theaters but missed it. So, it was ‘Marley and Me’ that night.

I love pets; especially dogs and cats. For the past few years I had been staying away from my pet Max, whom I literally raised from a tiny puppy. He wasn’t as naughty as Marley but he did give me quite a few headaches while growing up! I missed him dearly that night. Almost everyone in the family fond of pets had moved out and I knew that Max would be missing us a lot.

I loved the movie, not just because it was a simple and heartwarming tale but for the fact that it treated Marley as a being, a member of the family, rather than just another animal. The conversations were real and the interactions between the characters and Marley were real. Watching the movie, I went back to the times when I was alone at home with Max. I would sit with him on the courtyard at night when we could not sleep. I would stare at the stars shining above us in the clear sky, putting my arms around Max. I would talk to him and share my doubts and my fears and tell him how much I loved him. Those were difficult times for me. Mother wasn’t keeping well for few years, especially during those months when she had to be taken to a bigger city for her diagnosis. Dad and sis had accompanied her. Brother was already living in the city for few years at that time.

Today when I watched the movie again, I missed Max much more. During my last visit home I learned to my surprise (rather shock) that he had passed away. We weren’t informed. I was the first to know. I had not cried then. Not for a day or two. But late one night unable to sleep, when I started thinking about him, tears just rolled down my cheeks. I cried for a long time. I cried myself to sleep.

I had missed Max, felt his absence when I first saw ‘Marley and Me’. This time it was the realization of the fact that the absence was incurable and I would not be able to see him, touch him or pat him again. When I look at his pictures, I see so much of love and so much of pain in those big eyes. I wish I was there for him during his last few days. I don’t know if I could have been of any help at all, but I would have certainly wanted to be there. But now he must be getting all the love he missed from mom. She had a special bond with all the pets we had, whether it was Ruby or Jumbo. But now, she would be well guarded and taken care of by them and they in turn would be unconditionally loved by her.

‘A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A water-logged stick will do just fine. A dog doesn't care if you’re 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?’

- quoted from ‘Marley and Me’

Max really did make me feel extraordinary. He made me feel alive and breathing. He made me feel truly loved. And he taught me a lot more than I could ever do with all the tricks I tried so hard for him to learn!! He was special and he made me feel special. I love you, Max.