Life is getting back to normal. I’m back to work and while my energy is still lower than usual, I can feel myself gaining speed. Mrs. Lion is similarly recovering and I expect things to get back to normal in the next few days.
I started to write that it’s impossible to maintain our power exchange while one or both of us is ill. But that’s wrong. We do maintain it. Even though Mrs. Lion told me that our rules are suspended, I still follow them. She still notices that I do.
I guess we have to recognize that our FLRD doesn’t go on vacation when we are distracted by life situations. It just simmers quietly in the background. The big question is whether rules are enforced when we are sick? Mrs. Lion didn’t have the energy to paddle me and I was in no condition to handle being punished.
My education has improved with Mrs. Lion’s consistent observation and enforcement. It’s tempting to say that illness is no excuse, but that’s not realistic; neither is spanking me. Suspending the rules is certainly one way to deal with things. But that isn’t realistic either. Should I forget my manners because I’m under the weather? No, of course not.
It’s a dilemma in a FLRD. Actually it isn’t. Mrs. Lion noticed and thanked me for waiting for her before I ate. I appreciated the positive feedback. Similarly, verbal feedback for breaking a rule would put me on notice even if no spanking followed.
Unlike the fantasies, FLRD can be very subtle. Yes, punishment is a most powerful educator. But, a reminder will serve as well when punishment isn’t practical. My temptation was to suggest that Mrs. Lion keep track of infractions and punish me when I felt better. But that makes very little sense. There is no real correction in that sort of arrangement when one is sick. I think that building up a back log of spankings is more BDSM than FLRD.
When we first started with discipline, I spent a lot of time trying to come up with ways to record infractions so that punishments could be meted out for each. It felt more like we were playing a game than establishing a disciplinary relationship. Now that we are maturing in our FLRD, punishment has taken its natural place. After all, you don’t punish a sick kid. Why would you punish a sick lion?
