Tonight, October 27th, is the evening our departed pets’ spirits return to us. It is a day set aside to honor the animals we loved and who loved us back. Día de los Muertos para Mascotas.

Some families light a candle, fill a favorite bowl of water, look through old pictures and maybe speak the animal’s name out loud. 

The death of an animal companion is the loss of a family member. The grief lingers and catches you off guard. My beautiful horse, Lucida, died three weeks ago. When I see the package of carrots in the crisper, spot a dried hoof print in the yard, or catch the scent of hay and horses in the empty barn, it's a gut punch. 

Everything is still now. No knicker for a treat, no rattling of the feed bucket when dinner is late. Life feels off-kilter somehow.

I’ve caught myself thinking “I’ve got to get her in for feeding,” or I see a new color saddle pad and think “she would look great in that…” Then I remember. And it hurts all over again. 

Tonight, I’ll say her name. All their names. The remembered horses, dogs, cats who shared their life with me. I hope I did right by them and they knew they were loved. 

In the barn, I left the stall doors open tonight. 

Bright orange flowers whose vibrant color and scent such as marigolds are said to guide their spirits home. There is a trail down the aisle if they choose to follow it. 

Welcome back, my friends.