We interrupt this schedule of laziness and slackery to bring you deep philosophical thoughts about goldfish death.
Okay, we suck at posting, we've admitted this. We have good reasoning this time! Other than our duties of parenting, and my duties with school and Relay, TJ has been working major overtime and I have a job. Okay my hours aren't the most consistent, but finally, I have a job. I've also undertaken another project, but that's another post for another day.
Let me give some back story about my son Darren (Anakin) and his misfortune with fish. He got his very first pet goldfish shortly after he turned five, he named it Charlie. Charlie lived for 72 hours. So we went back to the pet store and got another goldfish that he named, Charlie 2. Sadly, and even more frustratingly, Charlie 2 didn't even make it to 24 hours. Apparently Darren has rotten luck with goldfish. Thankfully, Charlie 3 lived for quite some time, and Darren is now naming animals after Star Wars and Magic Tree House characters.
So we're on goldfish #5 and on Sunday we go to feed the goldfish where we see the all too familiar sight of a fish stuck to the filter.
"Oh please don't let it be Darren's, oh please don't let it be Darren's!"
Sure enough Darren says, "My fish!"
Crap.
We have a short talk about death (right before bed of all times) and proceed with the bathroom water burial. We promise him a new goldfish within a few days, and on Tuesday I decided to take all three kids to the local PetsMart.
Darren found his fish right away, a lovely goldfish with black fin tips. We all remark on how he looks like a tiger, and his name becomes "Tiger Fish." I pay my $0.13 for the fish as well as $3.00 for a new net (just in case) and we head on home. Tiger Fish spends the day playing hide and seek in the little Spongebob pineapple house as the kids watch on in glee. I figure all is well in the family pet world.
Then I checked on the fish this morning. Guess what I found next to the pineapple house? The little rigid body of Tiger Fish. So we're experiencing goldfish grief redux and this time it seems to be harder for Darren. We spent our time during breakfast addressing his thoughts on death and the sadness of losing things or people we love. I found it to be an extremely deep conversation for a seven year old, but Darren had questions, and thankfully I had answers.
Darren's mood had improved greatly by the time I dropped him and his brother off at school, and I'll give you one guess to where we're going right after I pick them up from school.
Make sure that the people and pets in your life know that you love them, because you just never know.
2 comments:
Nicole, unfortunately gold fish are the dirtyest fish there are for home use. The water in a "small" aquarium should be partially changed every other day. I would suggest you step up to maybe a beta or some other fish that is not raised as a "feeder." Clean you bowl and water items well without soap (try baking soda and a fresh clean cloth!) Soap of any kind removes the "slime" layer on fish and they are defensless. I think a good cleaning and a change of fish will give better results.
PS - Tell Darren I am very sorry for the loss of his fish and that I wish him well in his search of a long lived replacement.
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