The evening of September 12th, I had been mourning the loss of Mia right before putting my two daughters to bed. Teary-eyed, I stood in their bedroom as they got ready to crawl into their beds.

“Mom, you don’t have to cry,” my eight-year-old said.

“Hmmm?” I answered.

“Look,” she responded, picking up a book from nearby. She flipped to the last page in the book and held it open for me to see. “Read this.”

I looked at the quote on the last page of the book. It read, “Don’t be sad that it’s over. Be happy that it happened.” My heart melted. I looked at my eight-year-old and saw her in a new light. I’ve always known she has a very good heart, but this just proved it even more.

“Here,” she said. “Take this book and read it tonight.”

I took the book from her hands and looked at it. I knew the book well, as I had read it to her and her sister quite a few times. It was about a second-grade-classroom’s pet hamster. He eventually dies and the children are sad. The teacher reminds them of this quote. It’s a very cute book.

“Thank you, sweetie,” I replied.

My daughter crawled up into her bed. “You know what that means, Mom?”

“What?” I asked.

“It means don’t be sad that Mia died. Be happy that you had Mia. Be happy she was yours.”

Again, my heart melted. How did I get so lucky as to be blessed with such a sweet little girl? I gave her a big hug.

“You’re right. I am very happy that I had Mia. I just wish I still had her, that’s all,” I said.

And that was that.

Since losing Mia, crying has become a daily event for me. I break down at least once a day. I try to cry alone when no one else is around, but my eight-year-old always seems to know. Again, she surprised me with her incredible thoughtfulness. One evening, I was reading something in the kitchen when she walked by and dropped something onto the magazine I was reading: a note card. I picked it up and read what she had written:

“Be happy that it happened. Don’t cry. Reminder!”

I smiled. All I can say to that is … wow.

Losing my Mia hasn’t been easy. As of right now, it’s only been a little over 24 hours since she left this world. And it’s been the hardest 24 hours I’ve ever endured. Sixteen years is a long time to spend with any soul, be it human or animal. She’s been through everything with me over the years; everything.

In the last 24 hours, I’ve done a lot of crying. I’ve prayed. I’ve talked to Mia, and I’ve hugged her picture so many times. I even put her picture up next to me in the kitchen as I chopped carrots this morning … her favorite veggie treat. A piece of carrot is still lying by her framed picture on the kitchen counter. Grieving is hard; but I’ve been finding ways to see past the sadness and to, instead, see the light. The beautiful light that now envelopes my sweet Mia.

After returning home from the veterinarian’s office yesterday, I knew coming into the house would be torture for me. I walked in, looked around with a broken heart, and then took my other dog, Autumn, outside to play ball. I needed an escape, if only briefly. As I tossed the ball for Autumn, a big, beautiful, black-and-blue butterfly fluttered around me and Autumn. I watched as it fluttered past and around the yard. I just knew it was from Mia and smiled. I continued playing with Autumn when I noticed my husband on the deck watching us. He pointed out yet another butterfly flying around us – an amazing Monarch. I beamed and silently thanked my Mia.

When we finally went inside the house, I quickly got myself and my two children ready. We had tickets to go to the circus. I wasn’t sure how I’d find the energy to make it through such an event, but I was hoping it would help get my mind off my misery. I’ve always loved the circus, so when we first got there, I began having a really good time. But at some point during the show, I was struck by my grief. Tears welled in my eyes. Suddenly, I wasn’t seeing the people on the flying trapeze or the clowns walking around. I was clouded by sadness. This was when a woman sitting next to me began talking with me. We learned that we’re both writers for the same magazine and also members of the same writing organization. And … we’re both very spiritual and love talking about such things as God’s angels and heaven. (We learned this when I told her about a book I’m writing on this topic.) I have to say that I truly believe she and I were supposed to meet yesterday. I say this because not only did she take my mind off of my grieving for a bit, but the things she and I discussed are the things I live for and truly love. God sent me a new friend yesterday, and I thank Him with all my heart and soul. He knew what I needed.

Today, though I am still deep in the grieving process, Mia sent me another sign to help me look past my sadness. I took Autumn outside to play ball again for a few minutes.  I didn’t notice what time it was, but when I stepped outside onto the deck, a big, bright yellow butterfly fluttered overhead. I watched it fly past and then headed down into the yard and began throwing the ball for Autumn. After tossing it a few times, I felt something on my head. I reached up and gently grabbed it and dropped it in the grass. I thought it was a leaf until I saw it move a little. I squatted down and looked to see … a grasshopper! A grasshopper had landed on my head! I laughed out loud and wondered if it was from my Mia. When I got back into the house soon after, I noticed my husband had sent me a text message telling me he loved me. He sent it at 12:20 (on purpose). When I texted him back, it was 12:25. I was only outside for 5-6 minutes with Autumn, so this means Mia sent that butterfly and grasshopper my way at 12:20 … the time she joined the angels. It truly was from her!

Grieving is not easy, but when you’re open to looking for and receiving the signs your loved ones send from heaven, it sheds a beautiful light on their passing. I know Mia is in a better place now – a place where she’s free of pain and suffering. A place that is pure love and peace. And I know that she is around me, because we had a pact … and she’s kept her promise. I love you, Mia. You’re “mine” forever.**

**(I gave her the name Mia when she was a baby, because Mia means “mine.”)

My husband spoke of the dog when we got home and how funny it was that it just stood there looking around. I told him, “Yep. That’s what they always do … I’m telling ya.” Honestly, I’m so happy he saw the dog and shared in that moment. I told him how moments before the dog appeared in the road that I had just been thinking about how my angels hadn’t sent me a dog in a while. (And it just so happens that I have been asking for a sign this week regarding my new path in life …)

Synchronicities are amazing, and so are the angels (and God).

My day was busy, so as I ran around town to my daughters’ schools and a few stores, I had forgotten about my request to the angels. My mind was on a million other things. So, when my eyes happened to glance at my odometer on my drive home and saw the numbers 444, it all came back to me. The number 444 is a sign of the angels. I knew that, and I smiled. I silently thanked God, but I still wanted to be sure it wasn’t just a coincidence. So, I asked for another sign that I’d recognize as from above. Later that afternoon, it happened. Again. I was driving  with my daughters when my oldest shouted out, “There’s a dog! Look!”

I stopped at a stop sign and looked. As I began turning, I noticed a black dog slowly crossing the street in front of us. I stopped the car and waited. When he got to the other side, I rolled my window down. He looked at us for a few moments and then continued on and disappeared into the woods.

I knew this was – again – my sign from above. My angels love to send me dogs. I am still amazed and so grateful.

Never doubt the power of prayer and asking for a sign from above. “Ask, and you shall receive.” The key to receiving, however, is to keep your eyes and ears open. And don’t discount the little things as coincidence. You just never know how your angels will bring you the message you requested.

There isn’t a perfect answer to this question, as everyone responds to things differently. However, there is one treatment that can help bring each one of us the peace we long for in these times of need: silence.

“What? Be alone with my thoughts?” you ask.

Yes. It’s important to surround yourself in silence and simply listen once in a while. Pay attention to your breathing and your thoughts. Ask God and your angels any questions you may have … pour your heart out to them … and then listen. What do you hear? What do you feel? How do you feel?

God and His angels speak to us in so many ways: with loving, positive thoughts; with warm embraces; with the sounds of nature, spoken words or even through the words of a song. Their means of communication are endless. It’s up to us to silence ourselves enough to listen.

Today, I chose to sit outdoors on this beautiful spring day for my moments of silence. I sat quietly and spoke to God and my angels. I then listened as birds chirped happily around me and the gentle breeze blew through the trees. I smiled as the warm sun shone down on me and my angel told me everything would be okay. That’s when I knew that everything really would be all right. I am loved.

And so are you.

I had a bit of anxiety and upset yesterday morning. After a morning filled with prayer, I had to run an errand before picking up my preschooler from school. I entered a parking garage that was very, very full. I figured I might have to go up several levels before I’d find an empty spot. So, I asked the angels for their assistance. I asked for them to help me find a decent parking space. As I passed the first level and the second level, I began to wonder when I’d find that spot. I don’t care for parking garages … they give me the creeps.

I reached the third level, and as I turned the corner and slowly drove ahead, I stopped. A woman was crossing the lot. As she crossed, she looked right at me and gave me the biggest, brightest smile! It wasn’t as though I stopped to let her cross. She was already crossing as I turned the corner and stopped. Her smile was amazing and huge, and the way she looked right at me with bright, kind eyes was unexpected. I smiled back, and as I began driving on, I immediately noticed an open parking space – right in front of the stairs – only a few cars down from where she crossed. As I parked, I began to wonder: Could she have been smiling to let me know my prayer was heard and answered? Could she have been an angel in disguise? Perhaps. Or, an angel could’ve whispered in her ear to smile my way … to let me know my parking space was right there. God and His angels do use people, after all, to get their messages across to us. To me, it was as if she were saying, “Here is your spot!”

Some may think that I read too much into things. But in my heart, I don’t believe so. I know when my angels are near and when they send me signs. It’s a beautiful thing. I still have her smile and face etched in my mind. I like to think of it as the smile of an angel.

I cried a lot today. It was a great release that was much needed. I also spoke to God … aloud. No one was home at the time but me. I cried out and asked Him to send me my angels in this time of need. I prayed for extra love today, and I asked God and my angels to please send me a sign to let me know that they’re with me.  (I know they’re always with me, but on days like today, I need that heavenly sign to let me know that all will be well.)

I went to pick up my oldest daughter from school later in the afternoon, and from there, my two girls and I ran a few errands. After the first two, we were at a red light and I noticed an adorable, shaggy dog in the car next to me. It was sitting on the driver’s lap and staring straight at me. It made me (and the girls) smile. The light was long, so I kept glancing over at the dog and it kept staring directly at me with its cute, hairy face. I giggled. For some reason, this dog made me think – at that moment – of the scenarios with all of the past dogs who had stood in front of my car. Was this dog trying to tell me something, too? I didn’t want to read too much into it, but I did feel as though he was there to bring a smile to my face for a reason.

The last run my girls and I had to make was the public library. On our drive there, I was surprised by yet another dog! It was standing in front of my car. This time, it was a small, scruffy dog with a collar who had walked out and stood in the middle of my lane… just looking around. I came to a complete stop and waited … and waited … and finally tooted my horn to let him know to move off the road. He looked at me and barked. I waited a few moments more and watched as he continued yipping at me and slowly made his way to the passenger side of the car. When he was a safe distance from my tires, I pulled over to the side. I feared that cars would fly over the hill and slam into my car. I rolled down my window and spoke to the little pup. It was hard to do this time, as he was on the passenger side of the car. He was in the grass, but still too close to my car and the road for me to drive away. I was afraid he’d trot out into the street again, so I wanted to make sure he was far away from the road. He eventually made his way further into the grassy front yard of a nearby home, yet he was still yapping at me off and on.

When I felt he was at a safe distance, I slowly drove forward onto the street. Luckily, no other cars were around this entire time. I decided he must live in one of the houses along the road, as there were many. As I drove away, I prayed for his safety. I also thanked God for this sign. The moment I saw this dog in front of my car, I knew it was heaven sent.

This is the fourth dog that has stood in front of my car in the past few months. The scenario is the same each time it happens, too. It’s as if each dog has something they want to tell me. Once they do, they trot away. I think it’s really quite amazing. Coincidence? No. My angels are with me, and they’re letting me know that I’m protected and loved. They’re telling me everything will be okay, and inside my soul, I know that it will.

I began pondering this during one of my absolute favorite times of the day: bedtime. Bedtime isn’t something I think about as I go about my day. But it is definitely a favorite of mine! Each night when it’s time to put my two daughters to bed, it becomes a very special family time. My husband and I always play board games or Hide and Seek with the girls first. Then, once the girls are ready for bed, we all sit on the floor of their bedroom and read books together. After story time is prayer time, which is followed by tons of hugs and kisses. It’s such a special time for all of us – a time that I cherish; a time that fills my soul (and my family’s) with love and light.

So, as we all go through the busy-ness of each day, let’s stop and soak in those amazing moments as they happen instead of breezing through them as we do with items on our to-do lists. Let’s stop and think about why those experiences are special, how we feel when they happen, and how those around us might feel. These are the moments that matter most in life: the moments filled with love, peace and happiness.

Have you ever watched a child play? I mean, have you ever noticed how carefree they are, or how they don’t seem to mind who sees them acting silly? They laugh; they fling their arms in the air; they dance; they run. What fun! I watched many children around me at the museum doing these exact things without a second thought. And they would’ve taken my husband up on his dare in an instant … I just know it.

I have two young daughters of my own, and I enjoy watching them play (and playing with them). But when I’m busy making dinner or cleaning the house, I enjoy listening to their giggles and silliness and am brought back to the years when I, too, was a child. Oh, the memories! I’m not talking about the freedom of responsibilities children have, but the freedom of self-consciousness. The ability they have to just “be” without a care in the world. That is a beautiful thing; one that I miss very much.

When did we all become so self-conscious and worried about what other people might think of us if we act silly? When did we all begin noticing the eyes of other people around us? I’m sure it happens at different stages for each individual, but still … why must it happen?

Think about it. Wouldn’t it be nice to skip into the grocery store rather than walk? Shimmy down the aisles of Target? Dance in our driveways? Twirl into our workplaces in the morning? Hop like bunnies down the streets of our neighborhoods? How would it make you feel, other than slightly ridiculous? Honestly, I would feel FREE. Free from care. Free from worry. Free from stress. Free from being a grown-up all of the time. And, what’s more, I would laugh. I would smile. Happiness would consume my soul.

Why not set our spirits free? Be like children. Dance. Play. Run. Laugh. And hop down the aisles in Target. It’s guaranteed to make us giggle, and it’s likely people around us will laugh, too … or at least crack a smile.  And it might be just what they (and we) need at that very moment.