A Moment of Silence...

Two nights ago we laid to rest my first friend at seminary:

Osmond and I met on my second or third day at seminary. I was living in the dorms at the time and I wanted to get a roommate that wouldn't complain when I stayed up all night to write a paper. SO I found a pet store nearby and purchased a cute little bright red beta fish that I promptly took home and settled into a little one-gallon fish tank on my desk, complete with a fake plant and a "no fishing" sign.

Osmond was not like any other fish: he actually responded when I talked to him, swimming circles around his plant and then coming right up to the glass and look at me expectantly. There would be times when I would be sitting at my desk, completely immersed in studies... and then I would glance over to Osmond, and he would be sitting with his face pressed against the glass, watching me intently. He saw me endure sleepless nights, moving out of the dorms, trials, and joys... my friends enjoyed coming in and seeing him, amazed at his lively and interactive personality.

Yeah, Osmond was a great fish and a good friend... and as weird as it sounds, it was always a comfort to have him there when I came home to the dorms. And as strange as THIS is going to sound (I'm just going to say it - I've certainly read weirder things on blogs), I think the Lord used Osmond to bring me some joy and stability during my first year at seminary. It's funny how much of a difference a small connection to another living creature can do, even when it comes in the package of gills and scales.

Anyway, two nights ago I came home to our apartment to find that Osmond had finally died. I had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't going to live much longer - he hadn't been eating much, he basically slept all the time, he was beginning to pale in his color, and the fact that beta fish don't generally live much longer than a year (Osmond was over a year and a half by then). My roommates broke the news to me, and Jason (who had come in with me) gave him an honorable burial at sea (translation: he flushed him for me because I couldn't do it).

There is really no point to this blog except to acknowledge that my pet has died. No tears were spent on his behalf, but he is missed. I have to catch myself not to greet him when I come in or say goodbye when I leave - habits take a little while to break. I guess the moral of this story is that connection is important... don't think that it is a trivial thing. Fish aside, we all need community and fellowship. God made us relational beings, and especially as Christians we thrive in community of Believers to encourage, exhort, support, and lovingly admonish when necessary. No man is an island... and as much as Osmond was a joy to have, he was not community. Seek true and honest fellowship in your life - and buy a fish if you need a place to start. :)