Sun Showers, Memory, and the Fullness of Love

In Thanks & Giving, I wove in the metaphor of sun showers — that rare and magical moment when the sky pours rain even as the sun shines without hesitation. I’ve always been drawn to that image. It’s nature’s way of reminding us that two strong, seemingly opposite emotions can occupy the same space and still create something beautiful.

If you’ve ever stood outside during a sun shower, you know exactly what I mean.
The light is golden, the air is misty, and everything feels both bright and tender at once.

When I wrote the sun showers scenes, I knew exactly why the metaphor mattered.
I understood the emotional truth of it — the way grief and gratitude can braid together. But today, while simply thinking ahead to Thanksgiving and all the memories that come with it, that truth met me again in the softest way.

It’s been three years since I said goodbye to my beautiful boy, Enzo.

And today, out of nowhere, I caught myself tearing up remembering how he used to sit at the edge of the counter, eyes sparkling, waiting for me to share butterscotch chips from the cookie dough. That memory was so vivid and so him that tears arrived before I even knew they were coming.

But here’s what I’ve learned, and what sun showers have always shown me:

I don’t have to choose which emotion I’m allowed to feel when I think of him.
Tears and laughter can sit side by side.
Grief and gratitude can take turns.
Both are part of loving a dog that deeply.

And if you’ll let me, I want to tell you a little about the boy who broke my heart open so wide that every emotion tumbled out — and somehow led me back to writing after I’d quietly set that dream aside for far too long.

Enzo didn’t walk properly a single day of his life.
His hips and knees were a wreck from the beginning.
Five major surgeries.
Endless procedures.
He needed help just to stand.

But what he lacked physically, he more than made up for in heart.

He loved being in the kitchen with me — not for treats (although the butterscotch chips we both neglected to count were appreciated), but for companionship.
He welcomed every senior rescue with the gentlest, most gracious spirit.
He adored us with a loyalty and sweetness that still feels unmatched.

And — one of my favorite memories — the moment he heard the first few notes of the Downton Abbey theme song, he would trot straight to the nearest television to watch Lord Grantham strolling to the mansion with his dog beside him.

So today, when those little pockets of grief appeared — tears I thought had already been cried — I remembered:

It’s just as important to honor Enzo with joy.

The funny moments.
His love bordering on obsession for butterscotch chips.
Television shows that still make us smile because we know he would’ve loved them.
The way he made our house feel more like home — for us and for every dog in need of one.

The glimmering memories of a wonderful dog deserve to reflect the fullness of their life — the sunshine and the rain.

So if you’re missing a beloved dog today…
If the holidays stir up emotions you thought were finished…
If you find yourself teary-eyed in the middle of a happy moment…

Please know this with your whole heart:

You don’t have to choose.
Joy and sorrow can belong to the same memory.
Both are love.

From my heart to yours — may this week hold a little sunlight for you, even if the rain finds you too.

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Discover the Series

If this story spoke to your heart, you’ll find its spirit living inside It’s a Wonderful Dog—a four-book series set in the small Kansas town of Merivelle, where one remarkable dog changes lives, one season at a time.

Meet Bear Bailey, the Great Pyrenees whose journey reminds us that courage, community, and love are never lost—just transformed. Begin your journey through the seasons today:

👉 Read the It’s a Wonderful Dog series

Because in Merivelle, we believe the ending is never really the end. 🐾