R.I.P. Calico

It was a sad day yesterday.

Well, actually all week.

Except we have been having fun all week, just with the sad in the back of our hearts/minds.

Somehow, our sweet Calico grew ill.

And when I say sweet, I mean she was sweet to have lived for over a year, which spanks any record previously held by me in keeping a goldfish alive.

Anyway, she tried very hard to hang in there.  I'm not even exaggerating slightly by saying that she lay on the bottom of the tank, upside down, for a week.  She was breathing the whole time, and would sometimes flip her little fins around. 

I thought it was cruel to keep her in that state, but you try explaining to a six year old that we are flushing his fish down the toilet while she is still alive and "might just make it".

Finally, for Calico's sake, the time came last night when she went to goldfish heaven. 

There were tears.  Sobs.  Wailing.

It wasn't easy.

Just to make things worse, as if I could take anymore of my boy's broken heart, as we prayed last night, he poured salt on my mommy wounds.

"Dear God and Jesus, would you help my heart to feel better (sob, cry, sniffle).  My fish calico died tonight, and I am so sad.  Thank you. Amen."

Gulp.

Heavy hearts.

She was a good fish.

Or he.

We never knew.