It’s been thundering and lightening this morning. I came home from the pool early to close up the house and reassure The Hairy Beasts.

It occurred to me on the way home that everyone should have a … defender… a Champion … some valiant warrior who will mount up at a moments notice and gallop off into the fray to slay whatever dragon threatens the tranquility in the land of Peace and Happiness.

Not only does this Champion know what things are dangerous threats, but can anticipate weaknesses in defense and swiftly maneuver to mitigate them. The best of Champions often do this unbidden and unnoticed; so the threat is only at most a slight nuisance.

Sitting here with the pups a few minutes to calm and reassure them, i consider my own Champions. Precious people who know *me* and some of my squishy-vulnerable bits. More than once I have experienced them assessing a situation, noticed the shift as they “suit up for battle” and charge off to challenge whatever ______ menaces my realm of Peace and Happiness. Or simply and unceremoniously shield me from its view (or it from mine) so the threat lumbers by unacknowledged.I didn’t anticipate the thunder this morning. :/ But the first grumble was big enough to rumble the pool (which was kind of … awesome. Never felt thunder quite that way before). The second being equally impressive, I knew there was nothing for it but to high-tail it home, get Farm Dog and Fuzzy Butt in, and shut up the house. Thankfully, with all the door/ windows shut and all the fans on, Ride of the Valkyries and other such epic tunes pretty effectively drown outside shenanigans. At least, that’s what works for the 4th of July.

We should all be so blessed to have these Champions and to be Champions for those near and dear. This demands courage and selflessness on both sides: Ours to know someone else so well as to anticipate and route what might discomfort them without heed of its cost to us. And theirs to be vulnerable, to lay bare whatever insecurity or _____ that can undo them, to trust us to protect that knowledge and use it only for their good and not their harm or our gain. That sharing and baring is scary as hell, but the dividend is more than worth it.

I’m thinking very fondly of my own Champions just now. An appreciating every time they’ve turned on the fans and music and shut out the scary rumbles.