“Remember how we always said, ‘You can do it if you want, but you don’t have to?’ Well if you start this, you can’t quit’,” said Howard, recalling a conversation he had with his parents decades before. “You don’t have to do other parts on other shows, if you don’t want, but you’d have to keep doing this one.”
Explaining that he understood the message his parents were delivering, Howard adds, “I think it was pretty clear at that point that I was enjoying it, and I was good at it.”
Actually, he was great at it, and he was about to reach a level of stratospheric stardom.
Howard’s ‘Happy Days’
While starring in The Andy Griffith Show, Howard also appeared on the big screen in 1962’s The Music Man, a musical film that was a huge commercial success.
A natural talent, he then starred in 1973’s American Graffiti, which also starred Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss and Cindy Williams, whom he would work alongside in the future.
It was in 1974 when he was cast as Richie Cunningham in a new series created by Garry Marshall called Happy Days, which appeared on TV screens in homes across the world from 1974 to 1984.
The TV show spawned a few popular spin-offs like Laverne & Shirley, starring Williams and Marshall’s sister Penny, and Mork & Mindy with Robin Williams as Mork, the favorite Orkan.
High school sweetheart
It was in 1970 – before he won a Golden Globe for his performance as the innocent teenager on Happy Days – that Howard met the high school sweetheart, Cheryl Alley, whom he would marry in 1975.
“I met her, and there was never anybody else,” Speaking with People, the director of the Da Vinci Code continued, “She’s unbelievably supportive and always has been. Our compatibility has endured through all kinds of experiences.”
After 50 years of shared experiences, Howard, who earned an Oscar for directing A Beautiful Mind, commemorated the 50th anniversary of his first date with Cheryl on Instagram.
“Nov 1 1970 Cheryl & I went on our 1st date,” he wrote alongside a photo of himself wearing socks with images of Cheryl’s face. “We went to see a re-release of Stanley Kramer’s It’s a Mad Mad Mad World and then got some pizza at now defunct Barnone’s in Toluca Lake. Quite a start, right?”
He also shared their plans that day, “We’ll be driving in the same ‘70 VW Bug I picked Cheryl up in 5 decades ago. It runs great. So do we.”
His ‘good luck charm’
Cheryl made several cameos in Howard’s projects and even played herself on the TV comedy series Arrested Development, produced and narrated by Howard.
Speaking with the Television Academy, Ron called Cheryl his “good luck charm,” and explained that is why she appears in every film he makes.
“At a certain point, I became very superstitious about making sure that she appears, that she’s at least identifiable in one frame,” he said. “They don’t have to be big cameos, but she’s gotta be in there.”
In addition to bringing her husband some luck, Cheryl is also a published author who holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in screenwriting.
The power couple are grandparents to six children and the parents of four, daughter Bryce, twins Paige and Jocelyn and son Reed.
Bryce – a recognizable actor – is known for roles in movies like Jurassic World and The Help, while Paige made her feature film debut in the 2009 movie Adventureland. Since she’s appeared in films The Employer and Collection.
Reed is a professional golfer and Paige’s twin sister Jocelyn is very private.
The secret to longevity
Nearing their 49th anniversary on June 7, the Emmy Award-winning producer shares that “communication” is the secret to their enduring love.
“People say, ‘How’d you do it?’ There’s no technique,” Howard tells People. “There’s no tactic, other than communication is really important. You have to learn to communicate and have difficult conversations in constructive ways. Beyond that, there’s an element of luck because people either grow together or they don’t and I don’t think you can force that.”
Their Hearts Were Broken When They Heard The Loud Cries Coming From The Trash
The scale of human cruelty cannot surprise us anymore. Every day, we witness sad stories caused by the heartless actions of some people.
Most of them are written according to a real-life scenario in which these helpless creatures are ready to give all their love, but those same people reciprocate in the worst possible way.
The beginning of today’s story is the best testimony to that. Several Good Samaritans, although used to various heartbreaking situations, could not even imagine what they would experience when they were passing by a container.
At one point, these good people heard loud cries coming from the trash, and when they realized what it was, their hearts were completely broken.
Life From The Bottom
When these people opened the bag from which loud cries were coming, they saw a tiny, one-week-old puppy inside. He was so young that he had not even opened his eyes yet and was trembling out of cold and fear.
Despite the initial shock from this heartbreaking sight, they managed to pull themselves together quickly. They put the puppy in a warm blanket and immediately brought him home.
When they finally came to their house, these people prepared a temporary resting place for the puppy and bought him high-quality milk. Because he was very hungry due to the lack of real mother’s milk, the puppy drank an entire bottle within 10 minutes.
As soon as he satisfied his hunger, they let him rest, and he fell asleep almost immediately. They enjoyed watching him resting as he looked like an angel in that warm, cozy bed.
After a week of sleeping and feeding on milk, the puppy finally opened his eyes and began to explore the world around him. His look was full of hope, and this motivated them to do everything to help him have the happiest puppyhood.
These good people provided him with the best milk they could find so that he could have all the needed nutrition in this crucial period of his life. They also gave him a lot of space in the house so that he was able to explore the surroundings and satisfy his curiosity.
While exploring, he met family cats and quickly fell in love with them. They were a bit suspicious at first, but they soon accepted his company, and from then on, a beautiful friendship was born.
Every day, this puppy looked better and was happier, and when he finally started walking after a month, nothing could stand in his way anymore.
Although they knew he still had a long way to go, his rescuers were now sure he had a bright future ahead of him.
Growing Up Quickly
Day by day, the sweet little furball was growing bigger and more beautiful. After a month, he was ready to transition from the milk to soft food. He wasn’t a picky eater, so they had no problem choosing the right ingredients.
Aside from preparing him the best-quality food full of nutrition, they also recognized his playful personality, so they started buying him toys to play with. He was over the moon when they brought him his very first toy, and that filled their soul.
After 51 days of the happiest puppyhood, he grew up and completely changed. His body weight increased quite a bit, and his fur was finally long and smooth. He became a real little beauty.
Although the puppy was now very comfortable and happy, they continued to take the best care of him and provide him with everything he needed.
As he was more grown up now, he also required larger clothes. They didn’t spare money and bought him the most comfortable clothes they could find. Out of all the family members, the puppy was the best dressed, and even the cats didn’t have better clothing than him.
From the best toys to the most comfortable T-shirts, the puppy enjoyed all possible benefits in a warm home. However, his biggest blessing was the fact that he was the most loved member of the family.
Yes, you heard that right – this puppy became a full-fledged member of the family as his saviors could no longer imagine life without him. At that moment, he was the most blessed dog in the world.
From The Cries To The Smiles
Soon after his new parents decided to adopt him, they brought him to the vet so that he could get the necessary vaccines, and they told the doctor to make a detailed examination. To their delight, the doctor confirmed that the puppy’s health condition was perfect.
After this happy news, his new life could finally begin. His appearance completely changed, as he wasn’t a puppy anymore but a big, handsome dog who never stopped radiating positive energy.
Most of all, he liked to go for long walks with his parents and enjoy the sun, but he also favored big parks where he met and played with other canines. He carried a broad smile on his face that never stopped delighting all those people who would see him.
This puppy became a walking smiley face that everyone loved to see and greet. However, they didn’t know that just a few months earlier, he cried in a place where no one wanted to look at him.
That’s what makes this story even more special and tells us that there is always a new opportunity to laugh, even when it seems like our whole world has collapsed.
This puppy is a living testimony to that.
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