The Leash Holder of Belonging

Not every gift begins as a plan; some begin as a rescue. Nori’s story started on a snowy Christmas Eve, found shivering on Norwood Avenue with no tags, no chip, and no home. My sister-in-law carried her in from the cold, posting notices and searching for an owner. None ever came forward.

But in that in-between space — where fate holds its breath — Nori found Chris. My mother-in-law had never had a dog before, but sometimes love arrives uninvited and undeniable. From the moment their lives touched, they became inseparable.

This keepsake was painted for Chris, a way of honoring not only Nori’s face but her place in the family. Onto a simple wooden plaque, her portrait was brushed in with acrylics: bright eyes, tousled fur, the spark that first warmed a frozen night. Hooks were added below, practical for leashes, symbolic for the tether that binds them.

It hangs now not just as a leash holder, but as a reminder: belonging doesn’t always come by plan — sometimes it comes by miracle, wrapped in snow and found on a street called Norwood.