6 TRUE & UPLIFTING TALES

A paws-itive sign "Two weeks after my beloved cat, Martha, passed from old age, I went ahead and decorated my Christmas tree, even though my heart wasn't in it.

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I usually had to hang my ornaments on the higher branches because she loved to bat at them. Now, I didn't have to worry about that and I missed it more than words could say. "One evening, I went to plug in the tree, and I noticed all of the ornaments on the lower section were scattered on the floor. Joyful tears flooded my eyes as I laid a hand on my heart. 'I'm not even going to scold you,' I whispered to Martha. 'I'm going to thank you because that's the best gift I could have gotten!""

-LINDA ESTES, 62, Madison, WI

POWER OF LOVE Pennies and smiles

"When my daughter moved to Paris where her husband got a promotion, my heart broke. Not only would I miss her but my 7-year-old granddaughter, Penny, was my entire world. We did everything together, and now with her an ocean away, I was inconsolable. As we hugged goodbye, she told me to look for pennies everywhere I went. When I found one, it would be a sign she's still close. I nodded through my tears.

"As Christmas approached, I went to the grocery store, where my heart ached to see so many smiling children. But suddenly, I heard a loud clatter. The coin counting machine up front had gotten a glitch and tons of pennies came pouring out onto the floor. As workers rushed to clean up the mess, I had to just smile. 'You are here,' I whispered with newfound peace, feeling Penny near. 'Merry Christmas, sweetheart."" -MADELINE PETERSON, 67, Bristol, TN

BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE

The perfect extra shift