Life Lessons

Oh boy.

We got fish.

I honestly was worried about the commitment.
Really.  

It's just fish.

But each child picked their own.

Except the three year old, Audrey, didn't like the big betas.

So she got three little guppies.

Because she's three or 'fah-lee' as she pronounces it.

And they're little.

But they can reproduce.

Oh boy.

The man says, "don't worry they eat their young."

And when I grimace he adds, "It's natural".

I said, "well if they do have babies, I'm bringing them 

back to you."

Again, I'm thinking what am I getting myself into????

Shortly after this expedition a friend informed me 

about needing fish sitters when you travel. 

A fish sitter?

You're kidding me.

Oh boy.

We already have an 11 year old cocker spaniel 

that I need to worry about.

I didn't want a huge commitment.

The man at the fish store told me the beta fish live 3-5 years...

in ideal circumstances.

He said that with a bit of a smirk.

Knowing that a home with three kids

isn't exactly ideal circumstances.

So I kind of knew we probably wouldn't see the 3-5 years.

But we got the fish on Thursday

and today is Monday.

Two are dead.

Four days.

Really?

This is the scenario I was faced with today.

My three year old comes running up to me in tears.

"My fish broke" she cries.

One half of the fish is on one pointer finger,

the other half is resting on the other pointer finger.

She is sobbing.

I'm asking her what happened.
But she can't speak.

Her little heart was broken.
She finally gets out, 

"But Ava's fish didn't break."

Remember she had the teeny guppies.

Ava had the beta.

Alarms go off in my head.

I run to check their room.

Ava's fish is laying on the bottom of her bowl.

There is water everywhere.

Rocks spilled on the table.

Hmmm.

"Did you try to hold Ava's fish?" I ask her.

She covers her eyes and continues to sob.

Her default whenever she doesn't want to

answer someone is, "I'm too shy."

And what looks like part of Ava's fish's tail lying on the table.
To that she answers, "It just came off, and now it's there forever."

Oh boy.

So we learned some important life lessons today.
We don't pet fish.
We don't hold fish.

Fish out of water.

Not good.

I thought we covered this.

Apparently we needed to experience it to 

really get the picture.

But the picture hit home.  

I don't think we'll make that mistake again.

My 8 year old said, "should we pray for the fish?"

We did, but the fish didn't make it.

The three year old's summary of today's events,

"It was a very bad day."

She didn't confess to holding the fish till hours later.

The photo above is the new fish daddy got for our five

year old to replace the fish her sister 'ahem' murdered.

The three year old, now has two fish.

Even though she tried to lobby that she needs 

to replace her broken fish because she

must have three or 'fah-lee' since she's 'fah-lee.'

Not going to happen.

The 'take away' from all of this, 
fish can't breathe out of water.

And it's best to be honest from the get go.

Because the guilt of the lie, the shame of 

your actions really do catch up with you.

The freedom of being honest makes you 

feel the relief of being forgiven from your

'very bad day.'

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9 

p.s. A little addendum to today's post.  Tonight getting ready for bath I asked Audrey how her fish broke after all.  She said, "well I put it like this in between my finger nail." 
So essentially she decapitated it with her nail.
Hmmm.  Ok, well we're not going to do that again right?  
"Right" she says, then quickly deflects by adding,
"But we are gonna go fishing one day."
Me: "Ok, but in the real world, not in our bowls."
Audrey: "Right."  
End of discussion. :)