August 26 was National Dog Day, and I posted a photo of my dogs Cooper and Basta on Facebook to celebrate the day. I was particularly close with Basta and was devastated when he died in 2006. I periodically think of him and smile, but posting that photo really brought back memories. The next day, I hiked and thought of him once again. Toward the end of my hike, I passed a man wearing a T-shirt that said “Basta” across the front. I couldn’t believe it! Yes, Basta is an actual word—meaning “enough” in Italian or “stop it” in Spanish. But, it’s not a common word; I don’t hear it in casual conversation or see it on a shirt. When I’d been thinking about him so strongly, however, there it was.
I had two options: I could consider it just synchronicity, or I could believe it was a wink from the other side. Either way, it’s fascinating. However, believing it’s a wink from the other side—either from my husband (who adopted Basta before I met him) or Basta—brings me joy and makes me feel loved.
That afternoon, I chatted with my nephew and told him about the shirt. He said, “It was a wink.” His use of the word “wink” fascinated and surprised me. Normally, I don’t use “wink.” I usually say “signs from the other side.” For some reason, however, when I saw the Basta T-shirt, I used the word “wink”—probably the first time I’ve ever used that word. My nephew using the same word just hours later intrigued me and reaffirmed to me that this was not synchronicity; it was a sign.
An hour after this conversation, “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” played on the radio. When I hear that song, I choose to believe it’s a sign from my husband. I was ecstatic to receive signs from both of my boys on the other side. Interestingly, as I drove to my hike, I heard a band from the late 70s/early 80s that my sister loved (but is rarely on the radio). At the time, I didn’t recognize it as a wink from her; but after the Basta T-shirt and the song from my husband, I decided she had joined the fun in showering me with love.
That night, I turned on the TV, and an interview with Dolly Parton was playing. A minute later, she sang “I Will Always Love You.” I took that as yet another sign from my husband (or maybe Basta, my sister, or all three of them). I felt delighted to receive so much love from heaven.