I was telling my sister about how I was disappointed in myself for not immediately falling in love with our new puppy.

The older I get, the more I realize what a grouch I am about transitions. What’s wrong with me, I sobbed. There couldn’t be a cuter puppy...

“This is how you are” she said. “You always love things gradually!” And she listed examples.

I remember in elementary school, my classmates who were popular girls, would become infatuated with members of a band, or, the name I remember in particular, Dennis Rodman. Me? I fell in love with Mr. Bhaer of Little Women.

Loving someone, some place, some thing, has, over and over again, always required effort. The effort of care and time spent together.

I need to be patient with myself. I need to call this “The Process” like Sam Presti “the architect of OKC’s basketball success.” I only know about “The Process” because I’ve just finished reading Sam Anderson’s book Boom Town.