After being faced with the loss of a loved one, we often find ourselves contemplating the question of when it would be an appropriate time to begin moving on. How much grieving is necessary to justify the life of a loved one? Unfortunately, many people are forced to ask themselves this question when dealing with the devastating loss of a spouse, friend, parent or child. A loss of this magnitude will completely rock a person's world. However, we know that we can not live out the rest of our lives in a constant state of grieving after dealing with tough obstacles. This is when we must begin moving on.

Recently, my family and I have been faced with this type of loss on a much smaller scale. On July 6, 2016, we had to make the difficult decision of putting my childhood dog, Cookie, to sleep. Cookie was 15-years-old and had fallen very ill. We rescued Cookie from the animal shelter when I was just 6-years-old. Cookie had been around for most of my life. No longer having her around was hard. We knew it was going to be sad, but we did not expect the death of Cookie to have quite the impact that it did on our family. Our home felt incomplete and sad. The atmosphere in our home just felt different than before.

Two weeks later, my stepdad unexpectedly called us from the pet store. To our surprise, we found out he had snuck away to the Humane Society's puppy adoption event. He told us to come down to the store and be ready to pick out a puppy. As soon as I saw all the puppies, I immediately burst into tears. This was partly because I was so happy and partly because I missed Cookie so much. I wondered if right then would be too soon to get a new puppy. Would Cookie feel like we were replacing her by adding a new member to the family so quickly? This question may seem silly to some, but it really was in the back of my mind.

We ended up picking out the cutest, most sweet-natured puppy of all. We named her Piper and she is perfect for our family. Piper has brought a sense of love and joy back into our home that we did not even realize was missing. The atmosphere of our home now feels refreshed and normal again.

Although I still miss Cookie, I genuinely believe she is looking down on us from heaven and is happy with our decision. Piper will never replace Cookie—how could 15 years worth of memories with Cookie ever be replaced? I have come to the realization that Cookie's life was one chapter of my life. Adopting Piper is the beginning of a new chapter. Both chapters are beautiful and appreciated in different ways. This experience has taught me a lesson about the healing process. When it comes to moving on, it has to be a personal decision. Nobody should try to influence or judge anyone's decision to move on. If something in life makes you happy, do it! We are only granted one life, and everybody deserves the opportunity to be happy. If you feel ready and comfortable, I encourage you to never hesitate to begin a new chapter in your life! You won't regret it!