And They Say...

They say that we are the most intelligent species
They say that we are smart, compassionate and caring
But they speak without thinking
They say what they are but don't listen to what they are not
They believe that they are pure hearted yet they dare say that a dog is filthy
They say that a dog is ferocious, wild, needy and stupid
And they say and they say and they say
Yet they fail to mention the millions of lives that dogs change everyday
That dogs help heal the sick and bring joy to the elders
That dogs teach all humans how to live and how to love
That dogs are selfless, calm, rich and happy
That dogs can dedicate their lives to helping someone in exchange for affection
While we sit and fight for bread, power and money
We dare compare ourselves and even claim to be better than the very beings that serve their lives to protect
We are the species that can kill its own kind for greed
We are the species that harms due to an indifference of opinion
We are the species that discriminates and hates more than we can ever love
And yet they say, we are compassionate
They say we are smart, if intelligence justifies the thousands of killings and tortures from around the world Then I wish to be stupid
For being stupid - like a dog is the most peaceful way to live
They say we are caring, yet we barely acknowledge our own neighbors
They say that we are pure and clean, yet we can wash our hands with blood and feel no remorse
And they dare say that a dog is filthy
They say that dogs need humans to survive
Yet they don`t realize that we are learning the most valuable life lessons from dogs
We have learned to love, care, live selflessly, be patient, be loyal, to love unconditionally, to accept ourselves, to enjoy the journey (and I am just getting started..)
And they say that all this is not relevant in today's world, when the lessons that dogs teach us are what matter most in life
And they say and they say and they say.
But they will never understand because they are only humans.

Taking Loyalty to a Whole New Level

Lao Pan's dog guarding his grave

I just read the most amazing story about devotion and loyalty. In China, a single man by the name of Lao Pan lived alone with his companion - his dog. At the age of 68, Lao Pan passed away, his dog stayed by his side even at his grave. A local Chinese villager discovered the dog safeguarding Pan's grave site. The dog refuses to leave the grave even after going seven days without eating. This story has touched the villager's hearts so much that they decided to build a kennel for the dog beside Pan's grave and bring him food and water everyday.

Leao guarding her owner's grave

This isn't the first time that a dogs have proved their loyalty to their owners. Over time and time again, we are consistently reminded of how loyal dogs truly are to their owners. Earlier this year, a similar story took place in Brazil. A dog named Leao was seen sitting beside his owner Cristina Maria Cesario Santana's grave after she was killed during a Mudslide in Brazil in January. The dog was discovered by a local and the villagers have since been providing food and water for it.

Being a dog lover, this doesn't surprise me at all. Dogs have always been an important part of life throughout time, this is proven in many ancient artifacts such as the Ancient Egyptian scriptures, drawings and even statues. Personally, I can't imagine my life without my dog, a dog is the most faithful and loyal friend that you will ever have.

"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself"  - Josh Billings

Conviction

Betty-Anne Waters holding her brother Kenny Waters' hand
as they depart Middlesex Superior Court in Cambridge Mass.
(AP Photo/Steven Senne, File.) 

Conviction is a movie based on the true story of  a man named Kenneth Waters who gets falsely accused of murder and is sentenced life in prison without parole. Throughout his whole life, Kenny and his sister Betty-Ann have been moved around from shelter to shelter because their mother was deemed to be an unfit parent. They always supported one another and only had each other- they were truly the best of friends and deeply cared for each other. The story gets compelling when Kenny gets arrested and falsely accused with murder. Betty-Ann always knew that her brother was innocent and would literally do all that is in her power to set him free. She started looking for lawyers to defend her brother, however a lawyer for a case this big would need $25,000 up front before even looking into the case. This obviously a lot of money especially for Betty-Anne who works as a waitress at a bar in a small town in Massachusetts. Betty-Ann came up with an idea to go back to school, get her GED, get a BA degree and apply for law school. As crazy it sounded and as unrealistic as it is, she was determined and dedicated. Nothing would stop her from accomplishing this dream, all she needed was for Kenny to be patient with her. She wasn't sure if she would make it to law school or if she would even pass her courses, but she was determined to literally sacrifice everything for her brother.  After an eighteen year struggle, Betty-Anne became Kenny's attorney and fought to set him free.

This movie really moved me. It is such an inspiring story of true love, devotion and determination. It teaches you that you are never too old to follow your dreams and nothing will set you back from your dreams other than yourself. If you have the will and the drive to succeed, and if you believe in yourself, you can do any and everything you set your mind to. It just goes to show you it's not about what you know, its about how much you care. 

"The only thing that stands between a person and what they want in life is the will to try it, and the faith to believe its possible."