Not Really So Strong

See this lion?  She is strong, she is brave, she can take on the world.  Nothing phases her.

Unless you saw what happened less than a minute before this photo was taken.  I took it at the zoo today.  She's upset, and sad.  There are two sets of fences around her.  One to keep her from getting out into the zoo, another to keep people out from getting into her space.  Well one man, probably mid to late twenties, hopped the people fence, and went right up to her, and antagonized her.  He thought she was having fun, but she was getting worked up, and she was all sad when he left.  He'd teased, he'd offered to play, but took off before she could have any fun.

I feel like her sometimes.  I look so sure of myself, so independent, so strong.  But that is not how I feel.  Lately, as you probably can see by my blog, it has been crazy here, and there has been no time to do anything.  We keep trying, we keep cutting things back, but it seems the more we cut back, the more there is to do.  The more people hear you are clearing up time, they want to take up your time.  And now my parents are here for ten days.  I am so glad that they are, but I miss having time with the Duke.  I just want to steal him away for a few days and do nothing but sit hip to hip with him.  There were even times today at the zoo that the crowd over whelmed me, and I looked to see where the Duke was when we'd get separated.  I feel a bit lost without him by my side.

This next photo of the female lion in with the male lion reminds me of part of DD.  She may have just been teased and proded, but on the other side of that cage, this male lion never once took his eyes off of her.  In fact, when the young man was teasing her, this male lion was at full attention on his perch until the guy left.

She may seem all alone at first, independent, able to conquer the world.  But if you look more closely, he's there, he's got her back, and he's there to make sure she's okay.  All she had to do was turn around, and he was there, watching over her, waiting for her to look back, waiting for her to know she had his strength.

Do we do that enough?  Stop and look back?  I find I'm doing that a lot lately, and the Duke, he's always there, on his perch, ready and waiting, to rescue me, to be there for me, to just let me know I'm not alone.  The world may tease me, leave me feeling lonely, not worthy, but never, ever, does the Duke make me feel that way.  He's got me, and all I have to do is look to him, and not others that seek to pull me down.  Sometimes he has to remind me, with a stern word, a command, a few swats on the bottom, a look, but he's there, and he'll always remind me of that, even if I forget.

I would show you a picture of the male lion from the front, but I couldn't get a picture because my camera would not focus through the fencing, and he refused to look up at me over the enclosure where there is a boardwalk that over looks them.  Grrr, stubborn male.  Remind you of any males in your household?  No?  Hmmm, might have to talk to the Duke and let him know no other males out there have any stubbornness in them! ;)

Because of being so busy, and a full day on our feet with my parents, the Duke is really tired tonight.  I hope you don't mind that he'll be skipping sharing his opinion this post.  But should be back for the next one. :)