Letters from the Quiet

Today marks sixteen years since my mom passed away. Something happened this evening that reminded me why I believe the things I do. We have a saying in this house. When it rains, it's our family in heaven making splashies. I imagine my mom and dad sitting together on the porch of the Cottage, smiling as Annie, Colebi, Fynlee, Dublin, and now our newly arrived Sargie boy race toward the lake. I picture them leaping into the water without a care in the world, tails wagging, joy echoing across the shore. And every splash they make becomes raindrops that fall back to us, carrying little reminders that love doesn't end when life does. Today there wasn't a drop of rain in the forecast. Then, around 4:50 this afternoon, the sky opened. It wasn't much. Just a soft shower that lasted maybe ten minutes. A single rumble of thunder rolled through the sky, almost as if someone was calling my name, telling me to come outside. So I did. I stood in the rain with my hand stretched toward the sky, letting the water run across my fingertips as I talked to them. To my mom. To my dad. To Annie. To Colebi. To Fynlee. To Dublin. To Sargie. For a few precious minutes, it felt like the distance between heaven and earth wasn't quite so far. Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the rain stopped. They were only here for a little while. But they showed up. They reminded me that even when the world keeps moving... even when people here on earth continue with their lives... love never forgets. The ones who shaped our hearts don't simply disappear. They stay with us in quiet moments, in unexpected signs, and sometimes... in a ten-minute rain shower that wasn't supposed to happen. So every time it rains, I stop. I look up. I close my eyes. And I imagine the souls I love most laughing together beside that lake, while my mom and dad watch from the porch of the Cottage. I imagine muddy paws, joyful splashes, wagging tails, and a love so immense that it spills over the edges of heaven and falls back to earth as rain. And I know that one day, when my time here is done, I'll walk across whatever bridge separates this world from the next, and they'll all come running. Mom and Dad will be waiting on the porch. Every dog I've ever loved will be there. We'll finally all be home together again. Until then, every rainfall feels like a postcard from home. So if you're missing someone, and the rain begins to fall... Maybe—just maybe—that's them sending a little piece of their love back to you. To my sweet family—Mom, Dad, Annie, Colebi, Fynlee, Dublin, and Sargie... Thank you for never letting me feel completely alone. Thank you for every memory, every sign, every quiet reminder that love is stronger than death. Keep watching over us until it's my turn to come home. And when that day finally comes, don't be surprised if you hear me before you see me—because I'll be running toward you with everything I have. Until then, keep making splashies, keep sending your love in the rain, and know that not a single day passes that you aren't missed beyond words. I love you. Always have. Always will. Brittney