Santa Cruz, CA USA

On November 11, 2023 I was having a very hard day. I had just lost my sweet dog Kona on October 30th, my last child had left for college in August and my husband was out of town. Needless to say the silence in the house was deafening. It was the first time alone since Kona had passed. I awoke in a bad mood that day, but didn’t know why. I typically go for a walk to our local harbor in the morning, but didn’t feel like going that morning. My dog was always on my walks with me for the last 12.5 years and he loved to walk along the jetty to the lighthouse and sniff the ocean breeze. I hadn’t had a good cry since the day my sweet Kona had passed. But, grief has a way of sneaking up on you and by that afternoon I had broke down sobbing. I had a nice heart to heart talk with my mom who encouraged me to get out for a walk. So I did. My walk took me on my usual route, to the small lighthouse on the jetty. By then, there were many people out enjoying the sunshine. As I got to the end of the jetty, I noticed something red hanging on a large piece of driftwood stuck in the pilings at the end of the jetty. I thought maybe someone had left a memorial for a loved one. It’s a spot that can get hit by waves, but the tide was low and waves were not hindering the area. As I got closer I saw it was a heart with a little tag that read: “I NEED A HOME!”. I grabbed the heart and was surprised no one else had seen it. I felt so deeply it was a sign from my dog sending love to me. The funny thing about this heart is that a small gold bee charm was attached to it. Kona always chased bees and ate them. I guess he was immune to the stingers. My heart beamed with love and I immediately felt his warmth. I had the biggest smile on my face knowing how lucky I was to get have a sign from him. What a beautiful gift.