This past weekend was Easter. Our family spent Easter Friday in the car, driving to Sherwood Park, and Easter Sunday in the car again, driving home from Sherwood Park. The reason was a good one– we went to see my niece be baptized. She is the first of my parents’ grandchildren to make a personal faith decision in this way. I was struck by the appropriateness of being baptized at Easter… the double symbolism of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. It was a lovely experience.
When we arrived home, Colton was faced with his own little tragedy– his Siamese Fighting fish was dead. We have had many pets over the year, which means we have had a lot of pet deaths, and it is always hard on the boys, especially on Colton. This time, he chose to take care of the remains himself. He scooped out the little guy and burried him in the ivy plant pot in the living room. He made a little R.I.P. sign to put on the side of the pot. He cried. He asked why God didn’t protect his fish better? We discussed again the question of whether animals go to heaven when they die. (Colton believes they do. His younger brother says they just turn to dirt. His older brother says, but God tells us He even knows when a sparrow falls. I tell him I don’t know, but that I do know that God loves him so much that He will take care of his pets when they pass on.)
Yesterday was moving day for the remaining fish. Colton had been waiting until we could make a trip to the city so that he could buy a filter system for his aquarium. Yesterday, everything was set up and ready to go, and the remaining fish were moved from their squishy little tank into the larger aquarium. Colton has spent hours watching them in their new home. He says they look happier.
