Pet Envy

My kids want a pet. As someone who requested a horse for every single holiday, be it President’s Day or Christmas, for about 12 years, I can understand their desire. As a mom with many bells to answer to, I can understand my reluctance. I have an easy excuse for saying no to cats and dogs as my son and I are allergic. We have any number of insects in cages, nets, bags at any point in time. But the most recent requests have been for fish.

My question is this: Can I handle a fish? I mean, it seems simple, but do I really want to add supervising fish feeding 2x/day and cleaning a bowl to my daily tasks? Will the excitement wane and I be left with having to organize fish babysitting over Thanksgiving? Am I totally over thinking this?

Somehow it seems that adding a fish to our lives runs counter to my desire to simplify things. But then again, Chinese kept fish ponds to encourage peace and tranquility. Will we all achieve some greater peace by watching a fish swim in circles?