Dog Gone - My Biological Edict


 The relationships of parents and children can be a complicated affair - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, fathers and daughters, mothers and sons.  In the midst of a family, confined to the walls of a home, you would think that communication would be a fairly easy endeavor.  And yet, we all know it is quite contrary.  In fact, these critical relationships are often thrashed by what we do not say - and by not communicating what we really feel.  Maybe this is why pets are so critical in the life of a family.  A family dog is often that one soul who loves you simply because you are you.  

Today Netflix released a movie that takes a very deep dive into the world of under-communicated family relationships in the movie Dog Gone.  Based on a true story, a young college graduate - Fielding - is lost on the trail of life.  He feels pity from his friends and disappointment from his parents.  His only unconditional love and solace is found in his adopted dog, Gonker.  To make matters worse, following his graduation from college he has to move home with his parents - no job, no life plan, no dream.  And to complicate matters, Gonker is diagnosed with Addisons disease, a treatable ailment that requires a monthly shot and attention to his diet - things that his father and mother do not believe he is capable of doing.

However, what the family seems to be missing in all of this is that Gonker is the glue they so desperately needed - and it is only when Gonker goes missing on the Appalachian Trail that the family begins to realize this - it is only then that they begin to talk…and listen…to each other while they begin the frantic search for Gonker.  Pains of the past are revealed; the weight of words of a father to a son are exposed; and a son begins to see the love and devotion his father really has for him.  In a powerful exchange between father and son, John Marshall says to his son Fielding:  “I don’t take pride in your torn pants or log cabin living.  I take pride in your character…the kind of character that is loving and kind…a character that would compel you to walk 24 miles in a day looking for your dog.  I have always been proud of you.”  

How often do we not use such words when it comes to the people who matter most?  As I ponder and consider my own adult children, have I expressed to them such sentiments in so many words?  Have I reminded them enough of how proud I am of the people they have become - not because of the money they make or the places they now live.  Have I allowed “my biological edict to protect them” down enough to let them know how much I really love them?  The search for Gonker always looms in the forefront of this movie, but make no mistake about it - this movie is about reconciliation and heartfelt family communication.   It is only when those relationships are made whole that father and son, husband and wife, mother and son find peace…and oh, by the way, Gonker!  So, check out Dog Gone and if you have children, go and tell them why you are proud of them no matter where they are on the trail of life.  And if you don’t have children, go thank your parent for worrying about you and wanting the very best for your life.  And if you have a dog…remember:  It is the one soul who loves you because you are you!  And who doesn’t want that?!


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