Yesterday I listened to Michelle Obama address a crowd of English teachers. One of her messages to adults, offered in the spirit of understanding our unspoken communication, and thinking of who may or may not feel empowered to confide in us, was to make ourselves vulnerable.

It’s in that spirt it that I offer you not only the remarkable similarity between my own and Cedar’s jowls, but a little secret to our co-existence. We have these little heart to hearts at least once a day. I like to think they assert and re-assert my dominance, but the jury is certainly out. She seems to be missing the piece that the rules still apply even when I’m not in the room, or even not within arm’s reach.

An early morning heart to heart (jowl to jowl?) with our girl.

Cedar listened to the First Lady as well, so maybe a little woman-to-woman thing went down, and maybe I’ll see Cedar coming around today?

Honestly, our heart to hearts, usually night time rituals of a bit of play and a bit of love, are becoming one of my favorite parts of the day. For all my grousing here, I’ll admit it: she is a sweetheart.