Fishy, Why are You Sleeping?

We have experienced a death in the family.

My daughter’s first pet, a goldfish named Cutie, died after just 24 hours in our house.  When she was sent to her room on Sunday she was told not to feed the fish.  When my wife entered the scene of the crime, the fishbowl was thick with fish food.   It was a classic overfeeding, and we did our best to save Cutie, but no amount of cuteness could bring her back from the brink.

I know that goldfish die; I even explained that to my daughter when we brought the fish home, but as a family we felt that there was still a point to be learned here: our choices affect others. 

Often we live with a mindset that focuses on what we want rather than how it might affect the people around us.  The reality here is that what we do and say can have a major impact on the lives of other people, even if we don’t see it right away.  Understanding consequences for our actions can make us sad, but how much better to learn from those things than to continue repeating them.

Needless to say, we will be getting another goldfish soon.  Hopefully we can get at least 48 hours out of the next one.