Your Fish Is Dead

This piece was written on 7/26/07 by Leanne Doyle Duncan.

Bryce got three goldfish for his 7th birthday last month and the first one,
Max, has passed on to "fishy heaven". I was tucking Bryce in last night
and I noticed LOTS of fish food all around the aquarium and he told me
that Ty was trying to feed them. I was finding a good hiding spot for
the food when I saw one of the fish floating. I didn't want to show
Bryce right before bed (we'd already been working on bedtime for an
hour) b/c I knew it would upset him, so I decided to wait until morning.
A little while later, he came running down the stairs with tears
streaming down his face. Plan A= bad idea.

Kelly and I tried to console him as he sobbed, but nothing was helping. He was absolutely devastated. I guess this is really his first memorable experience with
death. Kelly explained the options for disposing of the fish, but Bryce
wasn't having any of it. We finally convinced him to take him into the
bathroom for a "proper burial".

Bryce changed his mind and turned to take him back to his room and dropped him on the floor! It was all Austin and I could do not to burst out giggling at this point. He wanted Max to stay in the aquarium (floating) in case he came back to life.

I laid with him in his bed with the lights off in the room, but on in the
aquarium, discussing what a good fish Max had been as we watched him
float lifelessly around the top. He cried, "Grandma Janyce hasn't even
seen take a picture of the fish before flushing him. So, I watched as Colby
and Ty took turns holding the dead fish and Bryce took pictures.

We went into the bathroom, Bryce wanted me to say a little prayer (glad
that's not on tape) and he dropped the fish in the toilet. Of course,
Colby couldn't stand to be left out, so he reached up and flushed, Bryce
became frantic scooped Max back up into the cup and began crying
again.

Max is back in the cup of water, next to the aquarium in Bryce's
room! Motherhood brings a surprise everyday! I actually cried as my
son mourned the loss of his first goldish!

Leanne

Words of Wisdom from Ben Franklin...

A countryman between two lawyers is like a fish between two cats.

A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over.

All would live long, but none would be old.

An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.

Anger is never without Reason, but seldom with a good One.

At 20 years of age the will reigns, at 30 the wit, at 40 the judgment.

Be civil to all; sociable to many; familiar with few; friend to one; enemy to none.

Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing.

Beware of the young doctor and the old barber.

Content makes poor men rich; discontentment makes rich men poor.

Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.

Drive thy business or it will drive thee.

Thinking Positive...

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)

I happen to feel that the degree of a person's intelligence is directly reflected by the number of conflicting attitudes she can bring to bear on the same topic.
Lisa Alther

Complaining is good for you as long as you're not complaining to the person you're complaining about. Lynn Johnston

I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances. Martha Washington

A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than your best wonder drug. Patricia Neal

Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives. William James (1842 - 1910)

The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind. William James (1842 - 1910)

Albert Einstein Said It...

Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish.

Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.

Gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love. How on earth can you explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love? Put your hand on a stove for a minute and it seems like an hour. Sit with that special girl for an hour and it seems like a minute. That's relativity.

I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.

I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.

I never think of the future - it comes soon enough.

If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor.

Imagination is more important than knowledge...

It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.

Llittle Known Crucial Rules of Life...

1. Never give yourself a haircut after three margaritas.

2. Never go anywhere without WD-40 and Duct Tape– If it doesn't move and it should, use WD-40. If it moves and shouldn't, use the tape.

3. The four most essential words for a healthy, vital relationship– "I apologize" and "You’re right."

4. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

5. When you make a mistake, make amends immediately– it's easier to eat crow while it's still warm.

6. Learn to pick your battles; ask yourself, "Will this matter one year from now? How about one month? One week? Tomorrow?"

7. If you’re over 50, never pass up an opportunity to use the bathroom.

8. If you woke up breathing, congratulations! You have another chance!

A joke is a very serious thing. Winston Churchill

A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road. Henry Ward Beecher

A sense of humor is a major defense against minor troubles.
Mignon McLaughlin

A sense of humor... is needed armor. Joy in one's heart and some laughter on one's lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life. Hugh Sidey

A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life. William A. Ward

Comedy has to be based on truth. You take the truth and you put a little curlicue at the end. Sid Caesar

Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious. Peter Ustinov

Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing. William James

MOON

What do you remember about the moon mission, landing, and return
of Apollo 11 of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins?

DREAM

I know how men in exile feed on dreams of hope.
Aeschylus (525 BC - 456 BC)

To accomplish great things, we must dream as well as act.
Anatole France (1844 - 1924)

Hope is a waking dream.
Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC)

Dreams that do come true can be as unsettling as those that don't.
Brett Butler

Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night. Edgar Allan Poe

Keep true to the dreams of thy youth.
Friedrich von Schiller (1759 - 1805)

You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, "Why not?" George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)

For Those Looking for a Mate or Already Have One...

When affection turns to obsession and possession-- RUN, RUN, Run!!

dd

Moral? A word to the wise is sufficient.

FOR THOSE WHO TAKE LIFE TOO SERIOUSLY

Save the whales-- try collecting the whole set.

A day without sunshine is like night.

On the other hand . . . you have different fingers.

42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.

99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.

Remember half the people you know are below average.

He who laughs last thinks slowest.

Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

Borrow money from pessimists. They don't expect it back.

Quantum mechanics: The dreams stuff is made of.

Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have.

For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism.

Never do card tricks for the group you play poker with.

No one is listening until you make a mistake.

The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.

A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

Change is inevitable . . . except from vending machines.

Get a new car for your spouse. It'll be a great trade!

Always try to be modest and be proud of it!

How many of you believe in telekinesis? Raise my hand...

Love may be blind but marriage is a real eye-opener.

If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving isn't for you

Quotes from Confucius

Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes.

Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.

Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.

Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses.

He who will not economize will have to agonize.

I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.

Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon and star.

It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.

Men's natures are alike, it is their habits that carry them far apart.

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.

Respect yourself and others will respect you.

Study the past if you would define the future.

Keep your Stare in Balance

"If you look at the sun too long, it will blind you. But to glimpse it a little at the time is very positive. Same is true with lots of things in life-- especially grief-- a glimpse here and there is healthy but starring at it will blind you to the point you can only see what you've lost rather than what you have left."

dd-- 2009

WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE WHO SIGNED THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE?

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army.

Two had sons who were captured.

What kind of men were they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants. Nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Parenting

"Days are long, years are short."

Leanne Doyle Duncan