Goodbye Goldie Goldfish

Goldie Goldfish passed away yesterday. Each time I walk by and see his absent bowl, I feel a little sad. Some people might say that he was only a goldfish, but he was certainly much, much more. Goldie brought a lot of laughs to our household, and he was our little pet. He would always meet our glance at the glass, usually because he wanted food, but there was something special about Goldie, and so we treated him extra special.
Goldie came along in 2007. T.J. and I went to Hidden Lake Gardens during a spring plant sale. Many of you may have already heard the story about the fish-in-the-pocket: We decided to purchase plants to make a small barrel pond. Thus, we left with 5 free goldfish. They were actually black fish, from living outdoors in a large pond. The gardener at HLG assured us that they would eventually turn into gold fish. He told me that they would help my little pond along.
As I readied the pond, T.J. adored the 5 goldfish in the pail in the driveway. I then noticed that there were only 4 goldfish left. I asked my 3-year-old what happened to the fifth goldfish and he responded, "Oh Bear-Bear ate him." I had no reason to question my 3 year old, especially since my lab was drinking out of the fish bowl. I felt bad for its sad fate, but I never questioned his statement. Thus, only four goldfish inhabited the small 1/2 barrel pond. The following day, I opened the dryer to the worst dried fish smell; hence, a baked-on goldfish inside the jeans pocket of my three-year old son - the fifth goldfish. Oh, that poor fish. I vowed to do right by the remaining four fish. From that point forward, I also learned to always, always check my child's pockets - especially after a load of ruined laundry.
That fall of 2007, a sudden frost left me scrambling one evening after work, to bring in my remaining 4 goldfish indoors in utterly cold temperatures. They lived indoors that winter, until they could return to the mini-pond again. The fish started to turn into a pretty shade of gold. One was half gold and half black, but nothing like the neutral fish that they had once been. By 2010, Goldie was the last surviving goldfish, and he had transformed into a beautiful orange fish.
In 2011, Scott deemed Goldie an indoor pet. Goldie loved human attention. Whenever we walked by, he would swim to the glass to say hello. In the summer of 2011, my 1/4 barrel pond developed hundreds of mosquito larvae, despite approximately 70 baby tadpoles. I suggested that we let Goldie inhabit the pond. Scott said no, "He's a permanent house pet now. He loves his fish bowl." I suggested that we just put Goldie in to feast on the mosquito larvae, and then bring him back inside. Finally, Scott said yes. Just a minute after entering the pond he swallowed a tadpole, but spit him out. Then, another and spat it out as well. T.J. and Jili screamed as he gobbled the frightened baby tadpoles. Then, he went to work on the mosquito larvae and by morning, only a few remained. Goldie did his job, creating the delicate, natural habitat in our pond. Jili and T.J. cheered him on. He was really happy in the pond, and remained there until late October.
Recently, we reminded ourselves that Goldie was going to enjoy some outdoor freedom again, as soon as the weather warmed. Unfortunately,Goldie's time was up.
I think that learning about life and death is an important lesson for my kids. I always try to tell my children to treat their pets good and give them lots of attention, because they don't live as long as we would like. "Poor Goldie" they said. "He was a good little fish." Then, T.J. said, "I am glad that he had a good little life." (We were not sure how old Goldie was when we got him, but he was at least 5 years old.) T.J. and Jili accept that the circle of life comes and goes for pets. Thankfully, pets teach children so many valuable lessons about life.
My children have learned that all life is precious, and we all need to enjoy it. The simple fact remains: Be kind to the ones you love, because life is too short. And sometimes, we are just a diamond in the rough, waiting for someone to show us a little TLC to nurture our true colors.
Jill