There are moments in life when you realize you aren't quite ready for what comes next, but you also know you can't stay where you are. For me, that realization came after losing my soul dog, Spirit. Fostering felt like the perfect middle ground. I could open my home and my heart to a dog who needed me without making the lifelong commitment of adoption before I was ready.

A week ago, I was at the window seat somewhere over the country, flying home to Arizona, and I realized I almost left more than my dad behind in Chicago. I almost left myself.

Death forces us to see the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. This realization does something to us. It changes us.

Grieving the loss of a pet can be devastating. However, our grief can be complicated by the lack of compassion and understanding from others