Smart pet solutions

A fated find

“I adore taking care of my 6-year-old grandson, Jason, while his parents are at work. The only complaint I have is that he’s always playing with some sort of electronic gadget. One afternoon, I tried to interest him in a board game or doing a puzzle, only to have him hold up a small metal detector made for kids, saying he was going to go treasure hunting in my yard. Disappointed, I followed him out and sat on the porch to watch.

“I was feeling frustrated when, suddenly, his detector went off and he began digging. ‘It’s treasure, Gran!’ he exclaimed, rushing over to show me. When I saw what was in his hand, I gasped. More than a year ago, while raking leaves, I’d lost the heirloom bracelet my grandmother had given me. I’d searched high and low, but it never turned up. I’d been heartbroken. I swiped a tear and hugged him, replying, ‘It is a treasure…and so are you!’” —Bea Griss, 58, Bowling Green, KY

The purr-fect remedy

“After nearly six years of being virtually inseparable, I had to leave my beloved cat, Lucinda, at the vet after she got pneumonia. I’d had her since she was 6 weeks old, and she had been just what I needed to fill my life with love and smiles again after my heartbreaking divorce. I couldn’t wait until she was home.

“Although the last report from the vet said her lungs were getting better, she was refusing to eat. When I called on the third morning to check in and the vet tech told me she still wasn’t touching her food,

I was very concerned. Then, suddenly, I remembered how she refused to eat when I’d first gotten her as a kitten. I won her over by singing a special song.

“I wonder if this will work, I thought, asking the tech to put me on speaker.

“‘Pussy cat, pussy cat, I love you… yes, I do,’ I softly sang and as I continued on, I heard the vet tech cheering as she began to eat. It just goes to show: Love heals all.”

—Liz Penn, 49, Lodi, CA

A winged goodbye

“Nothing could have prepared me for the sudden loss of my very dear friend, Norah, when she suffered a massive heart attack. We’d met when she’d gotten a job at the law firm where I was working, and we’d sat next to each other for nearly 10 years. We became like sisters.

“Everyone called Norah ‘The Butterfly Lady’ since she had a passion for monarchs. She had T-shirts emblazoned with them. They were on her hair barrettes, jewelry and scarves. At her memorial, I arranged to have over a hundred monarchs set free outside the church, and everyone was very moved by the tribute.

“As I stared at the brightly colored butterflies fluttering skyward, tears filled my eyes. I hope you can see this, Norah. I hope you know how loved you still are, I silently prayed.

“I wept all the way home, but as I entered my house and walked into the kitchen, my eyes were drawn to my back door. ‘Norah!’ I gasped as I stared in amazement.

“Countless monarchs clung to the outside of the screen, opening and closing their magnificent wings. Instantly, I felt

Norah’s presence surround me in peace and joy. Within moments, they all took flight, and I watched in awe as they disappeared into the sky.

“‘That was beautiful, my friend. Thank you,’ I uttered, as happy tears filled my eyes. ‘I love you—and always will.’”

—Kim Lang, 53, Auburn, AL

Color of love

“When my dad moved into an assisted living facility, he gave me his home. I’d always adored his quiet street and cottage-like house with bright purple shutters. Dad had shocked everyone when he painted them his favorite hue, especially the woman across the street who’d said with a huff that ‘it would take getting used to.’ But despite her disapproval, they’d made him happy, and seeing them now gave me a deep sense of comfort.

“Noticing the purple paint was fading, I decided to take down the shutters and put on a fresh coat. But, after laying them on a bench out on the front lawn to dry, then going off to do some shopping, we had a sudden downpour. My heart sank picturing his prized shutters streaked and ruined. I rushed back and sucked in a breath of surprise to see that someone had moved the shutters safely under the carport. Tears welled in my eyes as I turned to see the woman across the way smiling from her window. I mouthed a ‘thank you’ and placed my hand over my overflowing heart.” —Lizzie Johansson, 61, West Haven, CT