One of the greatest loves of my life, Sir Digby (all six pounds of a Yorkshire terrier who thought he was a Great Dane) died last year, and after he had walked out of his body and a couple of weeks had passed, I spoke to him. I asked him to send me a sign, saying, “You know the sign I am seeking—I just want to know you are doing well.” The next day I was walking on the beach with four friends, and as we walked, we noticed some feathers. They were everywhere—many more than my norm of twenty or thirty within a one-mile walk. I had felt the infinite connection of God. I had transformed a near-life experience to a state of being awake. I was whole.

Excerpt from my latest book: When Did You Die?