Is this an extreme reaction to a goldfish?

[NeverEscaping]

Family Goldfish passed away. Person was distraught, cried for hours. Then proceeded to dig a hole in the garden, an unused bed of soil, buried the fish inside their favourite tank ornament (an open barrel type thing it swam in and out of) below the soil. Placed a wooden post on top so as to remember the spot and plans to turn the bed into a memorial of sorts with lots of flowers planted.

Is this a bit of an extreme response to the passing of a goldfish or totally reasonable?

Yes

Massive over reaction

Me, it wouldn't bother me. A lot of people are hanging on by a thread right now and sometimes it only takes that one final crappy thing to set off an emotional storm. Leave them to it, they obviously loved their fish and a pet isn't any less valuable just because it is "only a fish".

Depends who it was really. My dd was devastated when one of her pet rats died, she was in tears for days and we had a funeral complete with grave marker. The dog dug it up days later but we won’t talk about that.
If it was my dp who was distraught I would think he was having a breakdown of some kind.

Maybe but its not for you or us to judge how other people should feel.
She's not doing any harm so why be mean about it?

Was it a child or an adult?

I'd guess that the memorial garden won't actually happen and is simply as in the moment remark.

I need to know more about the bereaved person before I pass judgement.

It was an adult not a child. The children weren't bothered.

Ds buried a tropical fish last week.
Hole had been excavated by the next day..
Grave robbed...

The memorial garden is happening in the spring, bulbs, seeds, etc. Have already been purchased and the bed prepared.

People get attached to pets.

It might not all have been entirely about the fish.

Well then you'll have a nice patch of garden to look at come spring.

I think some people are holding on by a thread right now and it can just take that one thing to give someone the outlet they need.

It wasn't probably the goldfish but something else and the final straw was the goldfish dying. I cried buckets in the supermarket when I couldn't get the pound coin in the trolley, the trolley didn't have a special place in my emotions but it was at the end of an extremely stressful week.

Does it matter? Sometimes grief from loosing human loved ones sort is transferred to a pet, more normally a cat or dog, but we live in such unusual times, perhaps the death of the fish was the last straw.

Maybe the goldfish is a symbol for something else , perhaps the person feels guilty that the goldfish died or could’ve suffered before it’s death
Do they have other fish or was it the only one ?
They obviously cared enough about the fish to notice it had a “favorite” toy .
Did they have the fish long?

I think it's quite sweet really

Are you worried about their mental health?

You can't seriously be asking if it's an extreme reaction.

@minionsrule

Maybe but its not for you or us to judge how other people should feel.

This

It does sound an extreme reaction, but it may well be about something else. Has this person lost parents or other relatives, and not mourned properly? Or as Lijo says, maybe it's about having an outlet and some choices/control, when everything else seems out of control.

@minionsrule

Maybe but its not for you or us to judge how other people should feel. She's not doing any harm so why be mean about it?

Why are you letting it bother you so much? YABU

It wasn't probably the goldfish but something else and the final straw was the goldfish dying. I cried buckets in the supermarket when I couldn't get the pound coin in the trolley, the trolley didn't have a special place in my emotions but it was at the end of an extremely stressful week.

This is what I think too. I got really upset the other day because I broke a plate. It wasn't a special plate, I didn't break it on our pose, I had no emotional attachment to it but it had been a very long day and was just one "for fucks sake" moment too many. I felt much better afterwards.

YANBU!
When Maureen died at 12yrs old (heading for the Guinness Book of Records) her gold had turned pure silver.
My tales of The Doings Of Maureen were shared with my online friends and we held a Wake for her
I buried her in the garden and I bought a fish shaped ornament for her headstone.
That was years ago, but the headstone is still with me.
Lovely, characterful goldfish, even if she used to nag me unmercifully if I overslept and was late with her breakfast

I was once almost the same over breaking my favourite mug, I kid you not (I didn't bury it but I did cry a lot). It was 40 years ago and I had a lot of unresolved grief. I suggest you are really kind and caring with this person.

Lovely, characterful goldfish, even if she used to nag me unmercifully if I overslept and was late with her breakfast

OK, I'll bite. How does a goldfish nag?