Jenny On the Spot

raising a goldfish would be so much work?

It’s been years since we had one, but I often feel guilty that “Larry Fish” is no longer here. “Larry Fish” was originally “Bob Fish” (a Veggie Tale theme here) before “Bob Fish” died. “Larry Fish” is not dead - though on at least 3 separate occasions he SHOULD have died. I tried to convince Joel to rename him, I mean HER - Lazarus. We found out “he” was a “her” after she began showering her bowl with eggs. Gross. Nobody told me girlfish do that. Her new name became Dorothy (like Elmo’s fish).

I feel guilty because Joel earned

Bob Fish

Larry Fish

Dorothy. When he was potty training - years ago - the incentive we gave him was a pet fish. If he went a week with no accidents, he could have a pet fish. He got two. Technically, he earned his pet, but only technically because shortly before we got in line to buy 2 goldfish and all the gear - Joel had an accident.

We came home that night with the fish, and a wet boy. The original Larry Fish died within days. I worried Joel would be sad, but as we flushed the fish he said, “Oh, well, I guess we need to get a new fish.”

On Mother’s Day morning, 2003 Larry Fish II hopped out of the fish bowl. As my husband and son began the ceremonial flushing, her lips began to move, then her body… ALIVE! She was rescued from the toilet. Soon after we learned Larry Fish was a girl - so Dorothy became her name.

We took Dorothy to be fish-sat over vacation. On the drive back home her bowl spilled, she got cut up, it spilled again, and finally I dropped her clumsily in the sink. Thank goodness for the strainer! She moved slowly those first few hours home, but she was back to her old self by the next day. That fish…

My in-laws fish-sat Dorothy at one point, and they agreed to keep her. Despite Joel’s begging to have her back, I managed to explain away why she was better off at Mimi’s. Time passed, and Dorothy thrived in a bigger home, and she grew. She grew to be the largest goldfish I had ever seen. I should have taken a picture.

Goldfish need a bit of food and clean water. That takes time and it takes effort. Again, she required more that her new family could give. Recently, Dorothy was released into a tank of lots of other goldfish… I am told she looked happy when they let her go…

Joel still asks about Dorothy, and reminds me that he should have been able to keep the fish. He’s right. I guess it is easier to live with the guilt than to live with the super-sized golfish with 9 lives!