Yesterday was my birthday…it has been 11 years now since I spent my last birthday with my sweet Morgan, and as you can probably understand, it was an emotional day for me.

I remember how excited Morgan was to watch me open the present she had given to me on that day in 2011. It was a black iron cow bell that I could hang on the outside of the house – the kind you ring to let everyone know it’s time to come in for dinner. I loved it!

Steve had designed and built, with his own two hands, the horse ranch that we lived in in Old Snowmass, CO. It was the place where Morgan was born. She knew I missed the ranch – there were so many wonderful memories made there. This present brought tears to my eyes. We were planning on building another home where we could have a ranch again…those plans disappeared, along with Morgan, 5 months later.

This is where Morgan was born, learned to walk, learned to talk, learned her love for nature, and all creatures large and small.

I love all my beautiful memories of Morgan, but they also bring tears to my eyes, especially on days like yesterday. Even though it was an emotional day for me, I am also extremely grateful…Morgan was in my dream that night, and I remembered every little detail of the dream when I woke up on my birthday morning.

It was a happy dream, it was as if she was there with me, celebrating my birthday. In the dream, the two of us were walking out to the driveway, we were going out for a birthday lunch. We were going to meet friends, Morgan forgot something and went back into the house, while I waited by the car. Just then, two hats fell out of the sky. Then Morgan walked back out of the house and I asked her, “Where could these hats have come from, they just fell out of the sky?” Morgan smiled and said, “They are probably a sign from the Universe.” Then she showed me her cell phone, to show me that one of the friends we were on our way to meet for lunch, was on television, receiving an award – that friend was wearing a sparkling, rhinestone studded hat, something I don’t think she would ever wear, but here it was, on her head and she was smiling. I then said to Morgan, “If she is being filmed how will she be able to meet us for lunch?” Morgan just smiled and said, “Mom, it was probably filmed earlier and she will be there.”

It made me happy. It really felt like all was well in the world and I truly appreciated spending a little more time with Morgan…and that is exactly how I felt when I woke up.

Was it a dream? Was it a sign? Or did Morgan just pop into my dream to give me the best present I could have ever asked for…just a little more time to be with her.