I'm Gretchen Rubin and this is a little happier.

My family and I often laugh about something we saw years and years ago and I think of

this little moment often.

My mother, my father, my sister, Elizabeth and I were on a big family trip.

The most ambitious trip we ever took together.

We were traveling around Europe.

And we were in Italy somewhere, probably Florence, and we were walking around one of those

big, beautiful squares and taking in the sights.

At one point we stopped for gelato, as one does, and sat down on a bench to eat.

We all noticed an older gentleman nearby.

He was dressed in a dapper suit and he was very elaborately laying down sheets of newspaper

on the steps of a cathedral to protect his clothes before he sat down.

With a lot of fuss, he got the newspapers just the way he wanted them.

He gingerly sat down, he got himself settled, and then from above came a big splaught.

A pigeon had pooped right on his knee.

We couldn't help but laugh at this poor guy's predicament.

It was such an obvious example of how we can make the most careful plans and precautions

and then something comes out of nowhere to foil us.

It's a good reminder we can take all possible precautions, but try as we might, we can't

guard against everything that might happen.

I'm Gretchen Rubin and I hope this makes your week a little happier.