Say hello to Max! Over the Christmas I fell in love with Max! Fortunately or unfortunately, it was not me alone, he had lots of other love interests! My daughter loved him, my nieces and nephew loved him, my Aunt loved him! We were all smitten!

I really and truly adore puppies! I love most animals. But I especially love dogs! One of my friends got herself a dog. A Shih-Poo. A mixed breed, of Shih Tzu and Toy Poodle parentage. Personally, I had never heard of the breed before.

But he is a cutie!! He is all black, with hints of white. He smells oooh so clean! Literally he takes a bath or, let me rephrase that, my girlfriend gives him a bath once a week. He smells soooo clean! He does not shed and has a vibrant doggy personality.

Puppies are easy to love aren’t they? Puppies are usually cuddly and soft. Love to play and chew on things and like to get into trouble. For the most part we don’t mind when puppies get into trouble. We excuse their actions and console ourselves by saying things like “well they are just puppies after all!”

Now let’s talk about love…There are many types of love. In human relationships we call infatuation with someone, a crush, or “puppy love.”

I remember the first boy I “puppy loved” in elementary school. I was like five years old. Looking back, he must have been about seven or eight at the time. He was tall, dark and handsome. To me anyway! I thought, he was the hottest thing since sliced bread…like really! I loved to see him run and play. I hoped one day that he would notice me. He never did of course! I was younger, in a lower grade and invisible.

Fast forward a decade or so and I met my “dreamboat” again. I almost did not recognize him! He was decidedly shorter!  I could have sworn he was sooo tall, at least in my memory! As I was saying… he was shorter, he had a bit more weight….I don’t remember him having that extra poundage when we were younger! He was loud. He said he vaguely remembered me. Anywho, I  was glad that he didn’t remember me. So much for puppy love!

So back to Max!

When I think of puppies and puppy love, I think of the growth and maturity that was required for all the love relationships in my life.  It is okay in the early part of any relationship to be all googly-eyed and infatuated with your love interest. The true test comes with time.  Time allows you to see people for who they really are. It also allows both parties to grow. Unfortunately persons do not always grow at the same rate, or even in the same direction. It can be frustrating! Believe me I know, and I am sure, if you have been in a serious relationship, you know too!

Although puppy love is great, true love is mature and even-tempered and full of many other virtues that takes a lifetime to grow. The Message Bible defines love the best when it says in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7:

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

Love you Max!