Take Time for Joy
Ella has been sharing her life lessons with you for over a year, with us stepping in here and there. You can find a compilation of Ella’s lessons in her book, Pawsitive Perspectives, and use the brand new Companion Journal to apply them to your life.
Now, it’s our (Mala and Tessie’s) turn to be the stars of this Substack account.
We were so excited when Mom returned from Africa and told us that one of her goals in 2025 is to start taking us for mid-week hikes again. When we first moved to Evergreen, Mom took Mala for trail-run Tuesdays, which eventually switched to Thursdays when her schedule changed. But, after her knee surgery last March, those outings stopped. Even though Mom has been trying to get back to her more regular exercise schedule, our outings have been mainly reserved for the weekends.
Lucky for us, that changed this month. Last Friday, we went for a family hike, and yesterday, we resumed trail running. While we love being out on the trail, we prefer some breaks to go a little crazy. On our hike last week, we had the good fortune to be off-leash and wrestle with each other in a field of snow.
Yesterday, once Mala saw an area of soft, undisturbed snow, she sped up and pulled Mom along until they reached it. She then started rolling around joyfully. Tessie caught up and joined in the fun by pushing the snow with her nose and scooting herself around in it. Rolling in the snow is pure bliss for us!
Our enthusiasm is contagious. Mom and Dad thought we were so funny they let us enjoy ourselves for a few minutes. We remind them as often as we can that life doesn’t have to be all about productivity–it’s essential to make time for fun. Spending even a few minutes on something you love can transform your day.
All of us enjoyed the outing, and when we returned home, Mom was even more productive than she would have been if we hadn’t had the opportunity to get out in the fresh air. She completed a pitch to a magazine that she had been procrastinating all week. They’re lucky they have us around.