She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not

[Herb asked me to post this. I wrote it for the Garden & Gun magazine's "Good Dog" essay contest and apparently did not win as I never heard anything. But when Garden & Gun published a book of "Good Dog" essays, I gave Herb this essay as a "P.S." to the book. The little essay that G&G forgot. Now I share it with you.]

Titan and I had a love/hate relationship. This started almost immediately because I felt like I was sold a completely fake bill of goods when we chose him.

"We Make a Lotta Rules"

My son looked contemplatively at his lunch today. Then he spoke slowly and thoughtfully.

"We make a lotta rules, don't we?"

I stepped out of the laundry room cautiously. I did NOT want to have this conversation right now. You know the schtick. The conversation bout how rules are important, especially when running a house full of boys, a dog, four cats, and assorted other critters and kids.

About how God gives us rules to help keep us safe and help us make wise choices.

And about how parents are charged with doing the same for our children.

So I decided to tread cautiously.

"What do you mean, buddy? How do we make a lot of rules?"

"Well..."

Titan, RIP, after his swim in the neighborhood pool.

He hesitated.