Max the dog from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” changed my life
Jodi Davis
| 3 min read
It’s funny but I can’t get through the holiday season without watching one of my favorite Christmas classics, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” I am not much of a fan of the mean and green Grinch but I absolutely love his faithful little dog, Max.
Max – possibly a beagle mix or what some people may call a “mutt” – is such a cute little guy and does everything his master commands him to do. From having a tree branch that resembles a pair of antlers tied on his tiny head to pulling an enormous sleigh full of Christmas gifts up Mt. Crumpit, this joyful little mutt continuously handles this treatment with good cheer. Why? Because Max is a dog.
Max handles this kind of treatment with courage and grace, like most dogs would. Due to my love for all dogs, the best part of the movie for me has always been when the grouchy ole’ Grinch transforms so much so that he actually carves the very first piece of the roast beast. Have you ever noticed who the first recipient of the roast beast happens to be? None other than his loyal sidekick, the sweet and ridiculously tolerant pup, Max!
When I was a youngster this really meant something to me. Since the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes that day I just knew that life for his dog Max was going to get much, much better! After all, Max deserves that. In my mind he deserved it even more than the Grinch.
When the movie would conclude, I’d feel so much better knowing that Max’s life was going to improve because the Grinch was changing his ways.
Now that I stop to think about it, the same happened to my dog Sierra because I changed my ways. Of course she was never treated the same way Max was, not at any time during her wonderful life. But once I decided that I was no longer going to continue living as a morbidly obese woman and made the decision to get off the couch and exercise every day, Sierra’s life changed too. Her life improved immensely because I changed my ways, almost like the Grinch did.
Sierra deserved to be exercised daily but it didn’t happen until my heart, even though it didn’t grow three sizes, told me to do so. In other words, my heart told me that if I didn’t change my ways soon, it couldn’t guarantee that it would continue working as hard as it was for another three decades. That’s when walking became my best friend, and I did it with my best friend.
My faithful dog, Sierra, continuously looked forward to her daily walks. Of course, there were days that I didn’t want to walk. Her excitement about her daily walk kept me accountable, so I did it for her. Because of her, I walked off 162 pounds of excess weight. My heart thanked me and of course, I thanked my faithful dog.
She was a mutt just like Max. She allowed me to transform like the Grinch did. Sierra also allowed my heart to grow, allowing it to be completely full of love for that sweet dog of mine.
Do you own a walking pal, possibly a mutt like Max? If not please remember that there are countless dogs in the shelters in your area who are looking for a loving home, some that are daily walkers already. I know this because employees at my local shelter have lost weight due to daily morning walks with some of the dogs at the shelter … one lost 35 pounds.
Thank you, Max, for allowing a young girl to see that a dog can create a better life in so many ways.
