Tonight we light a candle

 Tonight we light a candle.

For the paws no longer padding through our homes.
For the jingles that no longer echo in our halls.
For the hearts that beat beside ours, and then slipped gently away.

Grief tells us they are gone.
But love tells us they are still here—
in every memory, every whisper of fur on our hands,
every dream that feels too real to ignore.

A candle burns small, but steady.
And when many candles are lit together,
the night glows with something greater than grief:
a wall of love.

So tonight, I light mine for you.
And I know others are lighting theirs too.
Together, our flames rise into heaven,
guiding you, warming you, reminding you:

You were loved.
You are loved.
You will always be loved.

Until we meet again at the Rainbow Bridge,
I’ll keep lighting candles.
I’ll keep speaking your name.
And I’ll keep carrying you in my heart.