A month ago, Cady Gray brought home a minnow from her summer camp. Minnie the minnow survived and thrived in her soda-bottle ecosystem. But Cady Gray agreed that we had to take her to a stream and let her go before the school year started.
Today was the day -- the first somewhat bearable summer day, perfect for a walk over to the nature reserve. Cady Gray talked Minnie through the whole trip.
I had scouted out the perfect spot, where the creek passed under a footbridge. The water flows fast through a narrow channel, then spreads out in a shallow, still wide area where other minnows darted.
Cady Gray emptied her jar into the water, and we watched Minnie join her cousins.
We lingered in that idyllic spot, watching the silvery fish move to and fro in the water, feeling the breeze, listening to the birds.
As we walked back, Cady Gray found a feather. She put it in her jar as a sign, she said, that Minnie is where she belongs.
I suggested that Cady Gray write about Minnie. Here's what she just gave me:
Minny is a Pet that I loved and cared for. She swam, I watched. She swam, I fed. Today, I let her go. When I had my first pet, I didn,t want to let him go, but I had to. Now he,s a butterfly! So, I ♥ Minny!
2 comments:
I don't pretend to know any of you (although I do enjoy your writing, Donna), but this is just so sweet and melancholy. In the best way possible. A small moment that alludes something altogether larger—something that seems to comprise so much of "adult" life. A nice way to end my day. Thanks.
Just lovely. I wonder if it will be as idyllic when Jude has to set the worms imprisoned in his worm farm free someday...
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