Spending my days with Roli leads to a lot of useful lessons. Play hard, greet everyone with a smile and sleep as much as you can. He seems like a good role model without even trying. I might do pretty well if I decided to live like Roli.

Unlike many of us, he lives in the moment. We go to Lake Chocorua every day (sometimes twice a day) and he loves it every time. He doesn’t get bored or mope around because he wanted to go somewhere else. When you see how he sniffs around every nook and cranny, you’d think he’d never been there before.

He celebrates the little things. Give him an unexpected treat and he will run upstairs for a bout of hide and seek. Announce it’s time for a walk and he might start singing or jump around like a baby goat. If the three of us are out on a walk, one person falling behind and then catching back up will result in exuberant running (the zoomies). “I haven’t seen you in minutes!”

Life isn’t quite so simple for most of us. Still, I wonder whether all the complications we add are worth it.

Who is your best role model on how to live a life of joy?