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This is Fruitycake. And I have discovered something that I believe deserves scientific investigation. Why is it that running down a long set of stone steps in an Italian valley at full speed makes me feel like the happiest dog who has ever lived? I do not know the answer. But I am willing to conduct this experiment every single morning until someone gives me a government research grant. Preferably one that can be exchanged for pizza.

There is a particular part of our trail here at Under The Crow Rustico where the steps wind down through the valley. There are trees overhead, old stone walls beside us, and all the smells of a mountain that has been busy doing mountain things while I was sleeping. And when I reach those steps, something happens to me. My paws begin moving faster, my ears get involved, my bell starts ringing like the town church has announced an emergency, and suddenly I am flying down the mountain with absolutely no concern for what Girl Person thinks about my speed. She is usually behind me saying something about slowing down, but I believe she has misunderstood the purpose of steps. Steps are not for slowing down. They are for demonstrating what four legs can accomplish when they are properly motivated.

I don’t know if I can explain the feeling to persons. It is pure joy. The kind that doesn’t require planning or permission or a very good reason. I am not thinking about what happened yesterday or what might happen tomorrow. I am not wondering whether the rustico will sell, whether the weather will change or whether someone has secretly replaced my breakfast with cauliflower. I am simply running because running feels wonderful. The air is moving past my face, the valley is opening up ahead of me, and for those few moments, everything in the world feels exactly as it should.

Of course, the experience would be significantly improved if someone placed a freshly baked pizza at the bottom of the steps. I have suggested this to Girl Person on numerous occasions. She says that would defeat the purpose of our healthy morning walks. I say it would give our walks a purpose. We continue to disagree on this important issue.

But today I want to ask you something. When was the last time you experienced pure joy? Not the kind where you finally paid a bill or finished a difficult chore or found a parking space. I mean the kind of happiness that sneaks up on you and makes you forget to worry for a little while. The kind that makes you laugh without checking whether anyone is watching. Maybe it was listening to a song you hadn’t heard in years. Maybe it was watching your dog do something ridiculous. Maybe it was eating something wonderful or seeing a person you love walk through the door. Or maybe it was simply waking up and realizing you had another day to try.

I think persons sometimes make joy much too complicated. They believe they need to accomplish something first, or have enough money, or solve all their problems before they are allowed to be happy. They put joy on a schedule somewhere between paying the electricity bill and cleaning the bathroom. I have never once scheduled joy. It just happens. Usually when I am running, eating or discovering that Boy Person has dropped something edible on the floor.

Unfortunately, not every part of today’s adventure was quite so joyful. We encountered some persons on the trail who were extremely concerned about whether I was a boy dog or a girl dog. This happens surprisingly often here in Italy. Before some persons allow their dogs to say hello, they want to know whether the approaching dog is male or female, because they are worried about how the dogs might react to one another. I understand being careful about dog introductions. That is responsible. But today the question became something resembling an international emergency.

“Maschio o femmina?” someone asked.

Girl Person answered, but apparently the answer did not travel successfully through the mountain air because the question was repeated. Then other persons became involved. Voices got louder. Everyone seemed to have an opinion about whether I should be allowed to say hello, whether their dog should be allowed to say hello, and what exactly was supposed to happen next. I stood there wondering why so many persons needed to discuss my personal information in public. I am Fruitycake. I am a dog. I am wearing a bell. I have an important broadcasting career. Surely that is enough information for a casual encounter on a mountain.

The discussion continued, and I decided that I had heard enough. There was an entire valley waiting for me, and I had no intention of spending my morning attending a committee meeting about my anatomy. So when it was safe to continue and Girl Person gave me the opportunity, I picked up my pace and headed down the trail with renewed enthusiasm. My bell was ringing, my paws were moving, and I left the complicated world of human conversation behind me. Sometimes the best thing you can do with a ridiculous situation is not let it steal the rest of your day.

Which brings me to our affirmation for Thursday, October 15.

October 15 | I Can Start The Day Again At Any Hour

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION

A difficult morning does not own the afternoon. One mistake, argument or disappointment does not have to become the theme of my whole day. I can begin again whenever I notice I need to.

I think this is one of the most important things persons can learn from dogs. We do not always have perfect mornings. Sometimes we get frightened by a loud noise. Sometimes another dog barks at us. Sometimes the rain ruins our walk, someone closes the door before we are ready to come inside, or breakfast arrives five minutes later than we believe is legally acceptable. But we don’t have to carry those disappointments around all day. We can shake our fur, stretch our legs and find something else to be happy about.

I know Girl Person has been having some very difficult mornings lately. There is so much uncertainty about selling our home and beginning the next chapter of our lives. Sometimes I can see the worry on her face before we even leave the house. And I wish I could explain to her that just because she wakes up feeling sad or afraid doesn’t mean the entire day has to stay that way. We might not be able to fix everything before lunchtime. We might not get the news we are waiting for. But we can still find one good thing. And then maybe another. Sometimes all it takes is a dog running down a set of steps with a ridiculous amount of enthusiasm to remind a person that happiness has not disappeared completely.

By the time we returned home, I had worked up an impressive appetite. This is not unusual. I generally have an impressive appetite even when I have done absolutely nothing. But today I felt that my athletic performance deserved special recognition. And there was Boy Person, waiting for us, having made my breakfast! I cannot adequately describe the joy of returning from an adventure and discovering that someone has already prepared a meal in your honor. It is one of life’s greatest achievements, particularly when you were not required to participate in the cooking or washing of dishes.

Naturally, I expressed my appreciation. But I also asked whether he could make it a pizza omelette.

I do not see why this is an unreasonable request. An omelette is a perfectly respectable breakfast. Pizza is a perfectly respectable breakfast, lunch, dinner and emergency snack. Combining the two would represent an extraordinary advancement in culinary science. Boy Person looked at me as though I had just proposed building a pizza oven inside the refrigerator. Girl Person laughed. And there it was again. Joy. Not the kind that fixes everything, but the kind that makes an ordinary morning worth remembering.

I think that is what I want to tell you today, my darling dogs and persons. You do not have to wait until life becomes easy to experience happiness. You do not have to pretend everything is wonderful when it isn’t. You can be worried about tomorrow and still enjoy today. You can miss someone terribly and still laugh at something silly. You can have a difficult morning and decide that the afternoon deserves a completely different story.

And if you are a dog waiting in a shelter right now, I want you to know that your day can begin again too. Maybe this morning was noisy. Maybe you were frightened. Maybe someone walked past your kennel without stopping, and you were disappointed. None of that means the rest of your day has to be the same. There may be a kind person coming to sit with you, a walk waiting to happen, a comfortable place to rest or a new opportunity to feel safe. You deserve those moments of joy, even while you are waiting for the bigger things in your life to change.

So I am going to keep running down those steps whenever Girl Person says it is safe. I am going to keep ringing my bell, enjoying the mountain and requesting pizza in places where pizza has never previously been served. And I am going to keep reminding my persons that joy does not always arrive with a big announcement. Sometimes it arrives on four paws, moving much too fast down an old Italian staircase.

When was the last time you felt pure joy? I would love to know. And if you cannot remember, perhaps today is a good day to look for it again.

Preferably at the bottom of a trail.

With a pizza omelette.

Fruitycake

Explorer, Broadcaster, Professional Staircase Athlete and Founder of the International Pizza Omelette Appreciation Society

P.S. From Fruitycake: My persons are still waiting to have enough money for groceries AND fuel for our generator and fuel for heat, and we are trying very hard to keep everything going while we wait for the rustico sale. We are so grateful for everyone helping us continue our daily work, Fruitycake’s Pawcast and our new This Is…Me rescue project. If you are able to help with necessities, join Patreon, purchase one of our final Italy calendars or sponsor a rescue animal, you will be making a real difference.

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Thank you for being part of our adventures and helping us Make Rescues The Breed Of Choice! And please remember that even if your morning wasn’t wonderful, you are allowed to start your day all over again. No permission required.