Trares
What should have been a time of excitement instead turned into a period of mourning.
Just as Anthony’s summer break was starting, our pet turtle, Purdle, died. One moment, he was swimming lazily through the water, then he wasn’t.
The small reptile had been a part of our family for about four years. At first, I was skeptical. I’m not a lizard guy, a snake guy, and I didn’t think I was a turtle guy.
But my wife and Anthony loved him. They loved to watch him dive down into his aquarium, climb up his pile of rocks, and float on the surface with his head poking out.
So Purdle was a part of the family. Not that there weren’t some growing pains.
Like the time our cat, Olaf, was so curious/jealous about the new pet that he pushed Purdle’s tank off the table in the middle of the night. We woke up the next morning to find an overturned container, a wet floor and no turtle. My wife tore apart our downstairs area, eventually finding a frightened Purdle under the couch.
Or who could forget the time we decided we had to take him on vacation to Michigan, despite our rental agreement stating no pets. I realize it was probably just referring to dogs and cats, but when the owners showed up to say hi, we still had to hurry up and hide him.
Purdle’s death saddened me and my wife, but we knew it would crush Anthony. Though we had lost grandparents and relatives since he was born, this was the first time someone (or something) he was close to died.
We waited until he was home from swimming lessons, both knelt down, looked him in the eyes, and broke the bad news.
It was hard. There were a lot of tears, and a lot of questions. Anthony wanted to know why Purdle had to die, how we knew for sure, and if we could take him to the vet. We tried to soothe him, as best we could, that sometimes it’s time to go.
Every parent dreads having to explain death to their child. We want them to stay as innocent as possible.
But we also realize it cannot be avoided. All you can do is be honest without being upsetting, and provide whatever comfort you can.
Anthony settled down that night, and outside of a few moments where the emotion came rushing back, he seemed to bounce back. He already made a decision to honor Purdle in his own way.
Out in our garden, where I had given the turtle a proper burial, Anthony placed one of the rocks Purdle would sit on. Located in a quiet part of the yard that gets constant sun, it’s a fitting tribute for a pet who loved nothing more than to spread out in the warmth of a sunny day.
Rest in peace, Purdle.
xxx
Ryan Trares is a senior reporter and columnist for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
