🐾Gatsby’s Guide to Joy: Lessons from a Vertically Challenged Legend🐾

Gatsby the Great and his signature strut!

My name is Gatsby. I don’t have a tail, but I’ve never let that stop me from wagging my whole soul. I’m a corgi of conviction, a connoisseur of cozy, and—if I do say so myself—a joy expert. My human, Jen, taught me love. I taught her the sacred art of crust-sharing.  It’s a balanced relationship.

While I’m not currently looking for crumbs under Jen’s desk like I used to, that doesn’t mean I’m gone. I’m still part of every daydream, every memory, every giggle she stifles when she thinks of me snoring like a miniature freight train.

So here it is—my no-nonsense, stubby-legged, full-hearted guide to joy. Take what you need. Leave a snack if you’re feeling generous.

Greet Every Morning Like It’s Bacon O’Clock

Mornings are sacred. Roll, stretch, breathe deep like there’s a smell of jerky in the air. Joy starts with the right entrance, and I recommend a dramatic yawn and a confident head tilt to set the tone.

Strut With Purpose (Even If You’re Lost)

Direction is optional. Swagger is mandatory. Whether you’re walking into the living room or the unknown, do it like you meant to go there all along. Wiggle what you’ve got—even if you’re built like a loaf of bread.

Rest Is Not Laziness—It’s Strategy

Napping isn’t giving up. It’s recharging your sparkle. The world needs your best self, and your best self probably needs a 17-minute nap in a sunbeam with one ear flopped dramatically.

Sniff Things. Investigate Joy.

You never know where delight is hiding—your favorite blanket, a passing breeze, the mailbox. Be curious. Sniff it all. Life rewards those who explore.

Love Loudly, Snack Often

If you love someone, lean into them like you’re trying to merge bodies. And if there’s a snack? Take it. Take it with gratitude and an expectant gaze that says, “You know you can’t say no to this face.”

Stick Close to the People Who Feel Like Home

Joy isn’t just shared snacks and naps. It’s people who see you, who let you be soft and silly and stubborn. If you’re lucky enough to find someone like that, stay close. Bonus points if they smell like vanilla.

Delegation Is an Art Form

Let’s clear this up: I didn’t fetch. I inspired others to fetch. Joy isn’t always about chasing—it’s about knowing when to recline dramatically and let the ball come to you.

Even when life’s uncertain—even if you’re separated from your person, your porch, your sacred snack nook—joy is still out there. In memory. In movement. In mischief. In the soft hum of hope you carry for the next time you’ll share a blanket, a bite, or a breath with someone who knows you.

I’m still here. Always. Tail or no tail.

—Gatsby 🐾

*This post is a love letter to the best friend I’ve ever known. Whether he’s curled beside me or just living in the warmest corners of my memory, Gatsby’s joy is something I’ll carry forever—and share with the world, one story at a time.