Reflections 10/9/2020: On our morning walks, Roo can’t seem to resist climbing up on this little mound and staring off over his self-proclaimed domain! Always makes me think of Simba as he contemplated eventually taking his father’s place of rule. He is also starting to sing Simba’s usurping song, “Oh I just can’t wait to be King!” Puppy is becoming an adolescent! Ahhhhh!!! Testing whether the position of ‘Alpha’ is open for a hijack. Ed won’t let that happen, but I think he sees an opening in my approach to him.🤓 Trusting that if I just pour out the love on him enough, he will WANT to obey and comply with our leadership. But now when I call him, he stares at me with indifference. Hmmm… I think there are some fatal flaws in my philosophy… in this definition of ‘love.’ No backbone… just ameba-like jelly. Begs abuse! So it is not fully love. Love needs structure… especially during crucial formative years when the young’un hasn’t lived long enough to acquire wisdom. To recognize dangerous, car-filled roads and bushes hiding snakes! (Or scheming Uncle Scar!) So Lord, give me calcium to create bones in my conception of love for Roo. Kindness AND accountability. Grace AND truth! Simba had to learn the hard way, much to his father’s demise, so let Roo figure out his place in our pecking order without quite so much carnage!