People think hitting rock bottom means losing your job, your home, or your family.
For me, it was realizing no one had said my name in two weeks—except my dog, Bixby.
Not in words, but in the way he looked at me. Like I still mattered.

We’ve survived evictions, being turned away from shelters, nights under tarps.
One time, after two days without food, someone tossed us a sausage biscuit.
I split it, but Bixby pushed his half to me. That broke me.

I wrote a sign—not to beg, but to explain. People saw the dirt, not the dog who saved me.

Then, one day, a woman stopped. A photo. A connection.
She said, “We’ve been looking for you.”
A room. Dog-friendly. Safety. A new start.

Now we have a bed, warmth, food—and hope.
Bixby got a bath and a toy. I got clean clothes and called my sister for the first time in a year.
A job offer came yesterday. I said yes—for both of us.

What I’ve learned?
It’s not the cold or hunger that breaks you—it’s the silence.
But one dog’s love—and five simple words—can change everything.

“We’ve been looking for you.”

Kindness matters. Dogs understand love.
And if someone stays with you through it all—never let go.