So long sucker.
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Herein lies the remains of a pet fish.
While he lived with no name, we now call him…
fertilizer.
Before Larry (aka Licky) there were fish. And this particular fish we’re remembering today was a good fish. He was a sucker fish, purchased over 3 years ago, along with some fishy friends, for my son’s birthday. After many molly’s, tetras, guppies, and a spattering of others, the sucker fish pushed on, living his life in solitary.
We couldn’t bear to euthanize him. So we waited, and waited, and waited some more – long after the tank had already been promised to Larry.
Late last fall the sucker fish sucked his last suck and went to little fishy heaven. He was buried on the edge of the garden. No eulogy. No markers. A pretty uneventful ending for the last survivor of the fish phase. What is proper sucker fish remembrance protocol anyway?
“Be there some manner of rite or incantation?”
(Any movie buffs out there?)
Then a couple of weeks ago this cross showed up. I first thought it was creative art for the garden. Since I wasn’t present for the burial, I had no idea that this was actually the marker for the sucker.
The sucker marker.
Apparently my son, prompted by the tugging of his heart strings for the old suck, went about in crafting this cross out of cedar and leftover electrical wire to consecrate this space for the sucker.
Now that he’s properly been laid to rest, we can now all go on remembering how he was the best little sucker ever.
He was a fighter.
A survivor.
Until he wasn’t.
(Before sending me hate mail regarding animal rights, please know that we love all of our pets and look after each and every one of them with all the care and compassion due to any creature of God. The sucker lived a good life. He fought a good fight. The end.)
awww – what a sensitive, resourceful son! adorable
“last fall the sucker fish sucked his last suck” So classic. This should be made into a pillow.
I totally missed Larry’s arrival! I must have missed posts while I was on vacation. So I have to catch up. But not tonight. I’ll do my catching up tomorrow…while I’m at work.
That sucker is lucky to have you guys. (Ok, that sounded really funny.) I’m sure he’s doing his happy dance in fish heaven right now.
Poor sucker.
Now please tell us the movie! I know it. I just can’t place it. Ugh.
“While he lived with no name, we now call him…fertilizer.”
i shouldn’t have laughed, but i absolutely couldn’t hold it back. thanks for the chuckle this morning. 🙂
What a cute story. It shows Hank’s tender side , He’s a sweetheart. Love to all.
I think Licky did it. He was tired of being homeless.
(PS:I tried to google the movie reference but got nothin’…you gotta tell us)
Oh, that is sweet, your son loved his little fish. What a great cross he made.
It was Licky, in Hank’s room, with the lead pipe…
I think I know the movie — was it a blockbuster a few years back, with a kinda quirky main character, played by a kinda quirky actor? ; )
Hey Lynne!
Quirky? Yes.
~ Amy
Aww, how sweet. Loved the fertilizer line!
Three years? Wow, that’s like.. geriatric in sucker fish years, right? Did you notice when you buried him if he had a wee little white beard on him?
Hey Babybloomr!
No, I didn’t notice. Wonder if I should go dig him up to see?
~ Amy
are you the funniest person ever? yes quite right. I laughed so hard at this.
We had the same dilemma. What to do with a tank full of fish our son left us with. Old Plucky, as we called him, was one tough sucker. Since they are ‘cleaner-upper’ fish and as each of the others died there was less and less work for him to do nevermind food (healthy algea). I think he just finally died of boredom. Either that or the fishtank was just, finally, too clean!