Betta Fish Forum banner

Swimming Beneath The Rainbow Bridge

54K views 204 replies 160 participants last post by  LuvMyB8ta 
#1 ·
(Maybe this can be made a sticky?)

Every day, in aquariums, pet stores, and private homes, fish pass away, often times largely unnoticed. Many suffered in their last days or hours, grappling with disease, being attacked by tankmates, or having their bodies trapped against filters when they grew too weak to swim. So few fish have lived well on this earth, being used as decorations or disposable pets instead of being recognized as the special individuals that each of them are.

Thankfully for them, there is a better place.

We've all heard about the Rainbow Bridge, where dogs and cats and other pets cross over into the next life, where they run and play healthy and whole until their special person comes to retrieve them one day. What most people do not know is that there is a beautiful, flowing creek running under the Rainbow Bridge, leading to many vast lakes, swamps, rivers, and even oceans, where fish can live in bliss and harmony after what is all too often a short life of suffering.

You see, when a fish passes away, his spirit leaves the pain of his body and enters warm, flowing waters. There, he finds himself whole; tattered fins are restored, fungus-clogged gills are free and functional, open wounds are healed, and "pinecone" scales lay flat. There are other fish there, but none of them chase, nip fins, or threaten. The current is never too strong, the water temperature is always just right, and there and plants and rocks to hide amongst - not that there is anything to fear. Social fish swim close with their peers, while solitary species always have enough space for comfort. They all travel through these peaceful waters in one great school towards their destination.

Eventually, the waters of the creek are illuminated with the technicolor glow of the beautiful rainbow arching high above. Cats, dogs, rabbits - every animal you can imagine - cavorts above them, but the fish needn't fear predation or harm. As they flow beneath the rainbow, they come to a crossroads; little streams leading to the ideal habitat of each species. There are warm stretches of rice paddies for the bettas. There are cool, vegetated ponds for the goldfish and koi. Bright, welcoming reefs greet the oceanic fish, and warm, freshwater ponds, rivers, and creeks spread wide for the tropical species.

The fish huddle at the cross-roads tentatively, nervous of what awaits them next. Maybe some are unused to wide spaces; others have never seen their natural habitat. Some are afraid larger fish will eat them if they break away from the group. But finally, one will swim forwards. His fins will wriggle with excitement, and he will zip through the water gleefully, towards his new home in the next life. There, he will find others of his kind, though a fight will never occur. Food will be plentiful and living, not freeze-dried or pelleted. There will be no harsh lights or noisy filters, because the waters here are always ideal for their inhabitants.

And perhaps, if the fish had a special someone who cared in their life, that person will one day sit by the lake or shore or riverbed, where he or she will be recognized by a beloved pet. A flick of the fins and a friendly snout poking through the water's surface will reunite the two at last, with the message passed between them:

It's all going to be okay now...

~ Author Unknown
 
See less See more
#55 ·
Same hear, think they will recognize other pets we had and all of them await us together? I have a couple of amendments to make.

EDIT: Scratch that i cried in the end.
 
#57 ·
Thank you fleet fish.
 
#63 ·
yea, if you have really connected with your betta, you can basically "feel" her/his emotions... the betta "talks" to you. The language of nature, it connects animals and humans, you can understand it too, you just need to connect with your betta, look deep inside it's heart, connect as one.
 
#64 ·
Thank you very much for sharing this, I believe this truely gave me closure to what happened to my lil boy.

On another side note, I'm totally printing this out in big letters and taping it onto a wall in my new fishay corner. :)
 
#65 ·
Just a little note to everyone: I didn't write this .... I really don't know who wrote something so beautiful, but it always gives me hope that one day our bettas and other animals will come to us when we pass over. Even through death the bond between our animals is never gone . . . .
 
#67 ·
Its amazing I stumbled on this,I have had bettas for way to long lol, but about a year ago I was in a pet store and as I walked by a tank there was this small steel blue female following me back and forth ,I thought she waiting to be feed, but they feed the fish and she kept looking at me and I said go eat before its gone silly fish. Well I always was a sucker, so I bought lil girl and yesterday, she moved on to the big bowl in the sky. I really loved that silly lil betta that till the day she died followed me around, she used to let me scoup her out of her bowl with my hand when i cleaned it and never struggled or jumped. I will miss her.
 
#69 ·
Thanks for that post. i really needed that today. my betta is suffering and i can tell he is not going to recover. i hope he makes it to the beautiful stream beneath the rainbow bridge and enjoys life there. Maybe sometime i will see him again. i pray that his suffering would stop and that he would go in peace.
 
#70 ·
This story is just so beautiful and comforting. It literally made me cry. Not many people think of fish as having feeling, my dad didnt even know fish were considered animals, but I have always had a soft spot for the wonderful little creatures. I started out with bettas when I was really little and when they died I was so upset. I then got goldfish about 2 years ago, and I have lost so many beloved fish. Earlier this week, one of my plecos (Basil) passed away due to an awful unknown illness (his skin literally fell off) and this morning I woke up and my favorite little female betta (Eos) had passed on :(

Its so nice to know that all my amazing little friends have a place of their own to go. I cant wait to see them again, as well as all my furry friends too. I have so many things I want to say to them all.

RIP: Shadow, Malmpstein, Aspen, Pearl, Bubbles, Nicoli, Prometheus, Mickey, Bud, Razz, Basil, and Eos. I love you guys so much, and I miss you. I still think about you everyday. Love you
 
#80 ·
Oh my, so beautiful. I am trying to not cry. That was just what I needed right now.
 
#82 ·
I just lost my first betta today. I will really miss him. Thank you for this post because it just helped me get over it. SIP royal
 
Top