The first week I couldn't stop crying. I just couldn't imagine my life without my sweet, stubborn Smilin' Sammy. Adjusting to the too-quiet house and the feeling of having nothing to do only made things worse. Then, one day during the second week, Sammy sent me a penny.

I had been crying and dusting a glass table on which only one big plant and a couple of picture frames adorned. I had removed the picture frames and was putting them back when a penny literally dropped, and bounced, in front of my face. At first I was stunned because it couldn't have dropped from either the frames or the plant. It seemed to come out of thin air. Then, the "Pennies from Heaven" poem popped into my head and I started to laugh. It was so like my Sammy to send me a totally unsubtle sign that he was okay.

While your sign may not be as blatant as mine, one day your heart will lift and you will know without a doubt that you did right by your baby — and that he loves you for it. The bond we form with our special fur-babies is unbreakable. I know Porthos will forever be in your heart, but your heart will heal and you will remember him with more joy than tears.

As the anniversary of Sammy's death nears, I am still working on it. I will miss him forever. But time has eased the pain and my little MB Wiggly Wrigley found plenty of room left in my heart.

Hugs and positive thoughts coming your way ...

Beth, Spirit Smilin' Sammy and MB Wiggly Wrigley