Little life

Ever since Phil died (over a year ago), Aaron has been asking very passionately for a pet. Dale and I do not want to adopt another major mammal at this time. Much as we loved Phil, we are really enjoying the absence of hair on the sofa (not to mention puke on the floor), and the freedom of going out of town without needing a cat-sitter. In addition, if we got a young cat now, we’d likely still have this cat when Aaron was finished with college. We do not want to make that kind of commitment.

Aaron, though, helped us to understand that he would not necessarily need this new pet to be a cat or a dog. What he wants is a little life that depends on him, that he can think of as his special companion. We have fish, but they are Dale’s fish: even though they are in the kids’ room, Dale chose them and Dale takes care of them. Aaron recently read a book in which the main character, a sixth-grade boy, had a goldfish companion, and Aaron thinks this would be satisfying for him.

So we have decided that Aaron may have his own fish tank. We will pay to set it up, but he will buy the fish and their food out of his allowance money, and he will be entirely responsible for their care. (Jordan can help too, but they will be Aaron’s responsibility.) If Aaron demonstrates that he can take good care of the fish, then in a few months, he may petition us for a more ambitious small animal, maybe a gerbil. (Gerbils only live a few years.)

Aaron is very happy with this plan. He has designed the Good Goldfish Aquarium of his dreams.

He has also been thinking about how fish experience the world. To a fish, for example, normal human abilities (like breathing air, or seeing colors) might seem like superpowers.