Is it Time?

By Reba Hull Campbell

How does anyone ever know when it’s time? Time for anything. Time for change. Time to slow down. Time to speed up. Time to make a decision. Time to wait.

I recently knew it was time to make a decision on buying a new car when circumstances forced it – my car died on the interstate and repair was far more expensive than the car was worth.

Now I’m mulling over when it will be time to get a new dog.

When my beloved Golden Retriever, Dixie, died back in January, the first thing people often asked was when would I be getting another dog.  At that point, I thought it would never be time to get a new dog. My heart yearned for Dixie, not just another dog.

But as my heart started to heal, I came to the realization that my life just wasn’t complete without a dog. Only catch was I had to get to the place where wanting to have a dog outweighed just wanting my Dixie back.

It took time for me to want to even touch a dog. About six weeks after Dixie died, my friend Eleanor’s two dogs helped me pass that milestone by loving on me just when I needed it. Gradually, seeing other people walking their dogs stopped causing tears. That hole in my heart Dixie left gradually began to heal.