Thomas

It has been a great day overall.  A round of golf with Favian, James and Robert, and little lunch with family, and a fine soapbox derby for my grandson, Oscar.  One divot entered our day though……..Thomas, Oscar’s longstanding fish, a nice beta fish named Thomas, passed on to fish heaven.  There was expected grief and tears, especially from Oscar. Thomas had entered Canada as an illegal alien from the USA when Alex, Karen and Oscar moved here from Omaha.  Thomas has had a long life for a beta fish, with good travel experiences, and owners who kept his little fish tank clean, and good quality food available. He died peacefully.  Gratitude for all of this. I spoke with Oscar tonight and he is doing better.

Losing pets is a common experience we all have, usually more than once in our lifetimes.  These losses come from unnatural and natural causes.  Regardless of the cause, it can be as upsetting as losing a family member.  Pets and their owners become bonded deeply.  The range of pets, their sizes, their species and their personalities will vary, but the love that grows between pets and their owners is inexorably greater as months and years go by. We are made better by our relationship with pets, as they are by our nurturing roles as their protectors and nurturers.  No wonder we grief when our pets pass on, and no wonder pets grieve when there owners pass on.  The magic of domestication of other species by the human species is age old, but probably one of the most important forms of symbiosis in the living world.

Thanks Thomas for being a big part of Oscar’s life and for giving joy in a mysteriously gentle and charming way.