Jynx
Digger, RN
I've been breeding snakes for about 10 years or so. I've made my peace with death. We all know that sometimes snakes can succumb to infections, organ failure, genetic problems, intestinal/digestion issues, status distress... hatchlings starve themselves for whatever reason. Hell, sometimes snakes die with no discernable reason at all. I'm used to this. It's still disheartening and saddens me, and I'll shed a tear or 100 for those that really got close to me. But these have all been my snakes.
The weight that slammed down on my chest could not be heavier when I opened up Tabasco's cage to check on him and say hi yesterday morning, only to find him dead. Oh Tabasco... what happened buddy? You were lively yesterday. You see, Tabasco is not my snake per se. I bred him, but he belongs to Darwin... my step-son. Darwin just turned 6 in June, and is exceptionally bright for a boy so young, but he's never really faced death before. When his Grandfather died last year, he stated he was sad, but didn't really show any signs of grief. I assumed that he was still trying to grasp the concept of death. Lord knows though, that I did not want to test that theory this way.
So, I wrapped little Tabasco in a paper towel and put him in the freezer. Dar was at school all day, and I wanted to save his body so we could bury him. This is unfamiliar territory... I have had tons of child psych & development training, but its not the same as the "real deal." based on his previous reaction to death last year, and what I know about 6 year old development, I expected him to react the same as before. So after dinner, I sat down and told him the bad news, praying the whole time that I could keep my composure. I figured that as long as he reacted the way I thought he would, I might not crack down.
What I expected and what actually happened couldn't be farther from each other. At first he asked me what happened, and just sat there. Then he exploded into sobs and threw himself at me. Ok... I'm not strong enough to fight tears after that. We sat there and hugged and cried, and talked about how goofy Tabasco was, and cried some more. Tabasco was only 2, but Dar became attatched to him rather quickly. I've always had alot of snakes, so for him to have one of his own was a big deal. He picked himself out of Delilah's '07 babies. Delilah was his favorite for so long, so he was ecstatic to pick one of her babies to keep as his own. Tabasco taught him the nitty and gritty about snake care, but Dar took it all in stride. They grew together. Perhaps Tabasco's last lesson was the most important, even though it was the hardest... It taught a little boy about death and a new "parent" about her step-son.
Rest in Peace happy little Tabasco... You will be missed.
The weight that slammed down on my chest could not be heavier when I opened up Tabasco's cage to check on him and say hi yesterday morning, only to find him dead. Oh Tabasco... what happened buddy? You were lively yesterday. You see, Tabasco is not my snake per se. I bred him, but he belongs to Darwin... my step-son. Darwin just turned 6 in June, and is exceptionally bright for a boy so young, but he's never really faced death before. When his Grandfather died last year, he stated he was sad, but didn't really show any signs of grief. I assumed that he was still trying to grasp the concept of death. Lord knows though, that I did not want to test that theory this way.
So, I wrapped little Tabasco in a paper towel and put him in the freezer. Dar was at school all day, and I wanted to save his body so we could bury him. This is unfamiliar territory... I have had tons of child psych & development training, but its not the same as the "real deal." based on his previous reaction to death last year, and what I know about 6 year old development, I expected him to react the same as before. So after dinner, I sat down and told him the bad news, praying the whole time that I could keep my composure. I figured that as long as he reacted the way I thought he would, I might not crack down.
What I expected and what actually happened couldn't be farther from each other. At first he asked me what happened, and just sat there. Then he exploded into sobs and threw himself at me. Ok... I'm not strong enough to fight tears after that. We sat there and hugged and cried, and talked about how goofy Tabasco was, and cried some more. Tabasco was only 2, but Dar became attatched to him rather quickly. I've always had alot of snakes, so for him to have one of his own was a big deal. He picked himself out of Delilah's '07 babies. Delilah was his favorite for so long, so he was ecstatic to pick one of her babies to keep as his own. Tabasco taught him the nitty and gritty about snake care, but Dar took it all in stride. They grew together. Perhaps Tabasco's last lesson was the most important, even though it was the hardest... It taught a little boy about death and a new "parent" about her step-son.
Rest in Peace happy little Tabasco... You will be missed.
