Why I shop at an LFS

Hello
My name is Paul I am a member of SLASH. I do not post much but just wanted to say thank you to Gateway. Mark David Dewalle was my friend battling cancer for the last few years. He would come up to my work late at night and we would talk about life, death and everything in between. I have known him and his family for a long time now and I can say without a doubt I have never met a finer family, nor one that did not deserve this. I do not tell anyone that I keep fish but one night Mark and I were talking and he said he couldn't sleep. I asked him what helped him sleep and he said during one of his long hospital stays that he would stare at the aquarium, not think about his illness and forget long enough to fall asleep. I then for the first time told someone who did not keep fish that I did and that I would set up a tank for him. Like many of you others out there I have accumulated enough equipment to set up several tanks. The only thing I did not have was an actual tank. When I approached Chad at Gateway he asked why I needed another tank (as he knew my wife would not let me set up another one) he offered my one of his nano at no charge for as long as I needed. Chad thank you but your for your kindness I bought a new tank from your store, as with water, rock and a whole lot of livestock to pay you back thank you. Craig you have been amazing with your help and advice and you have gone above and beyond just an LFS employee and put up with me. Steve you have always been helpful and knowledgeable and a good person and friend, things that are rare this day and age, sorry I bothered you too all those nights. All of the guys at Gateway have donated more time, water, and advice than I can ever repay. Mark David Dewalle, my friend, a second brother lost his battle with cancer and his mom Barb said the most amazing thing about the fish tank was that it allowed Mark to think about something else for a change. To see how good a family this is please go to markdewalle.com and see just how special he was. I have spent crazy amounts of money on this hobby and it continues to surprise me. I apologize for the length of this post and I will not post again as I have decided to take a break from this hobby as I can not look at my tank without remembering. I just could not leave without thanking Gateway and for letting everyone know what they did for me.

Thank you

Paul
 
Wow!! I am sorry to hear about your good friend:( I know that remembering is probably painful, but he would probably want you to keep your tank and remember him with it.

Best wishes going forward and thanks for the heart touching post.
 
paul, I am new to this hobby, young, and not very smart,.....but I am very farmilliar to loosing friends, the thing is to remember, no matter how much it hurts, your friend will always be around weather in you heart or in your mind. I am sorry to hear of your loss, but IMO by backing out of the hobby and your memories of him and his tank, your backing out on him......Please take a few days and think of it, think of what brought you two together and how you became friends...It only hurts for so long and eventually your pain will be come joy. He is in a better place now and he wouldnt want you to be in pain when remembering him....IMO

again I am sorry to hear of your loss but he isnt suffering any more and is in a better place...

sorry for the long post but I wanted you to know that there are people here that feel for you, even though I have no clue who you are I feel for you and I begg you to reconcider backing out...
-shoe
 
That is a very hard thing to lose...good friends are the most priceless things in our lives. I too have lost some very good friends to cancer and understand completely.

I have said many times that the people in this saltwater community are the best you will find anywhere. To everyone involved at gateway...thank you for being the kind of people you are.


Thank You Paul for sharing that as it helps to ground us back to what is important and precious in our lives.
 
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