When My Pet Goes to Heaven

My name is Zara, and I have a goldfish named Splash. Splash lives in a tank by the window in our living room. Every morning, I feed Splash her food and watch her swim in circles. I love watching her glide through the water.

This morning, I went to feed Splash like I always do. But when I looked in the tank, Splash was not moving. She was lying still at the bottom of the tank. I felt my chest get tight, and my eyes started to feel hot and watery.

I called for Mama. When she came over, I pointed at Splash without saying anything. Mama looked at the tank and put her arm around me. She said, "Splash has died, sweetheart. I'm so sorry." My eyes filled with tears because I loved Splash so much.

Mama and I sat on the couch together. She said, "Feeling sad right now makes sense because you loved Splash. When we love someone, we feel sad when they go away. That sadness is actually a sign of how much you cared." I nodded and leaned against Mama.

Mama asked me to tell her my favorite memories of Splash. I remembered when I first got Splash, and she was so tiny. I remembered the time I showed Splash to my friend and she said Splash had the prettiest orange color. Talking about these happy moments made me feel a little better.

We decided to make a special goodbye for Splash. Mama helped me write down three things I loved about her: her bright orange color, the way she blew bubbles, and how she always swam to the glass when I came near. Writing these things down helped me remember Splash forever.

A few days later, I still felt sad when I looked at the empty tank. But I also felt something else—I felt grateful for the time I had with Splash. Mama said that missing someone means they were important to us, and that's a beautiful thing. I knew Splash would always have a special place in my heart.

I decided to keep the paper I wrote about Splash in a special book on my shelf. Every time I see it, I remember how much fun I had with her. Missing Splash still happens sometimes, but now I know that feeling sad is okay—it's just my heart remembering someone I loved.