A Fish named Lucy

I am petrified of water. Well, let me explain – not really water… DROWNING.
Now, of course, I take showers – quick ones… LOL. What I’m talking about is this:
I do not like swimming in a pool when someone else is around me.
I will not go in the ocean (to my son’s shock and dismay) without one of those big inner tubes snuggly around me waist.
I absolutely will not get in a lake, period! – (Funny thing is, I would as a child.)
If I do get into a pool or the ocean, I WILL NOT go UNDER water if ANYONE else is around me! (They may have secret intentions of holding me under as a joke, right?)
For these reasons (fears), I am totally in awe of fish… all kinds of fish.
They do something every day that I am terrified to do. Not only do they live in an environment that is scary to me – they do it so gracefully.

Recently, I purchased two Beta fish. My granddaughter named them Lucy and Lucy 2. Beta fish are particularly fascinating to me because not only are they like every other fish in that they breathe under water, they also must be able to reach the top of the tank for frequent breaths of air. They also don’t require tank filtration or any of the other expensive set ups other fish require. An added plus is that they are beautiful!

Anyway, I bought a male and a female beta because you never put two males together – they’ll kill each other. Heck, you’re lucky if you can put a “couple” together. So, I set the bowl up with a small artificial plant and put the fish in there. I held my breath…. He chased her around for a couple of minutes but they seemed to do okay. The next day, when I went to fed them, she was “hiding out” in the leaves of the artificial plant. When I dropped the food in, he started chasing her again but eventually they both ate and settled down. After about three days of this, I started to worry about her. I decided I would put her in a separate bowl, next to him. I mean, I was afraid he might hurt her.

Well, let me tell you… I put her in a bowl next to his and they both went berserk! She kept swimming in circles in her bowl and he kept swimming in circles in his bowl. Every so often they would stop, right next to each other – in their own bowls – and, I swear, they would stare at each other! I felt HORRIBLE! After about 20 minutes of watching this, I decided to put her back in the bowl with him.

Every day, when it’s time to feed them, I find her in the leaves of the artificial plant. Once the food is dropped in, he starts chasing her around – just like the day before….

I’ve learned something from Lucy and Lucy 2. You see certain parts of a person’s life and you tend to draw conclusions and assume you know all about that person and their situation. You decide that you know what is best for that person. We almost never know what is best for anyone else…. Sometimes we don’t even know what is best for ourselves.

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