OK, so we don’t really have a fish….anymore.

He died about two weeks ago.

To be honest, I don’t know how he lived as long as he did. But things were just starting to turn around for the poor fish – new tank for Christmas; colorful, plastic plants.

It’s a shame, really.

You see, he lived a hard life. Plucked from a fish tank at a nearby Walmart, "Kanishiwa" didn’t come from a broken home…He was taken into one.

Sure, he was fed every day (I think) and his tank was kept clean (most of the time). And as far as I know, there was only one near-death experience. (Kitchen sink, near the drain, long story…It was an accident!)   

In his three, short years, Kanishiwa witnessed a lot from his small, glass home. 

He saw a marriage unravel.... 

He heard the fighting... 

He saw the tears...

The yelling made the water in his fishbowl tremble....

But like I said, things were looking up for Kanishiwa. Mom (that’s me) moved him and the kids into a new house where there was no fighting, no yelling. The water was calm.

There were tears, lots of tears. As time went by, the “damaged” tears turned into “healing” tears.

Although he couldn’t bark or purr, Kanishiwa brought the kids together. Just talking about him changed their moods for the better. They would laugh over where to move his bowl (“Let him look out the window.”) and talk about getting him a friend, a girlfriend.

Kanishiwa was especially important to the little one. In her farewell letter to him, she wrote: 

"There's not a better fish a girl can have because the best just died."  

Sniff, sniff...

I guess the name of this blog doesn’t make a lot of sense now that Kanishiwa is gone. The little one says she’d like to get through her “grieving period” before she can consider getting another fish.

Perhaps we shall meet Kanishiwa II in the near future. A new Kanishiwa! But no broken home for this fish. No, sir! We’re talking a whole, new life. 

No fighting... 

No yelling... 

Some tears...

Calm waters...