Buddy the Betafish

It's a sad day today. After my youngest daughter went to school, I went to feed her betafish Buddy and change his fishbowl water. We suspected he was not in the best of health lately, as he wasn't as vibrant in color as usual for awhile now and he was looking "old", but I didn't expect to find him no longer alive this morning. I'm trying to remember how long we have had him, and I think it was going to be 2 years in February. She had received him as a birthday present. The internet says the life expectancy is usually 2-5 years at most and that when you buy one, they are usually close to 6 months old. The above picture of him was taken last June for a school project in which she had to present directions on how to do something. She chose to do a power point presentation on how to clean a fishbowl. She did a great job on the power point. I think she's known he was starting to fail for the last couple of weeks. She has been detaching herself from him, so I've been the one to feed him lately. I'll have to be the one to break the news to her when she gets home from school and we'll be having a "funeral" this afternoon. At least it's the weekend, so she'll have a couple of days before having to go back to school as I know she will be very sad, even I am. It's amazing how attached you become to a pet.... Buddy, may you rest in peace in fish heaven.