My Friend...Gary Mense.

In our lifetime, we are introduced to many types of people that contain characteristics, knowledge, ideas & values that affect or influence the way we live, act, feel, think & reason. They play many roles, such as teacher, parent, boss, doctor, professor, etc. & like everything in our lives, there are many of those w/ good intentions & there are many of those w/ bad intentions, but for the most part, I believe that the majority of people on this planet not only want to possess good intentions, but display good intentions as well!

Then there are those people that possess & display unique quality characteristics that are so rare & suttle that we hardly recognize it in its true form. These characteristics are unique b/c they contain an overwhelming amount of admirable qualities, honest morals & true values that most of us only wish we could possess. Their kind, compassionate & caring nature are easily given to us w/out any effort or payback expected. They value your friendship, companionship & every time we meet as though it was the most important thing in their life! Their huge smile, gut-busting jokes & their even larger optimistic-view would never be disturbed, damaged nor ruined by anything, anyone &/or anywhere! Not even the darkest cloud in the sky could change the image they portrayed & they never know what the worst day is, much less what a worst life even means! Life is precious to them & they make you feel as though your life is even more precious to them!

To me, Gary Mense possessed those great qualities & displayed so much more everyday that I knew him! To those who knew him, I hope they took the time & every advantage they could to know the real Gary! He played many roles in the little time I was blessed to know him, such as, my mentor, my teacher, my comedian, my prankster, my business advisor, my helper, my master bbq chef & many more, but 1 role he played genuinely & effortlessly was...my friend!

As my friend, he knew how important my business was to me & b/c of that, he took it upon himself to make it just as important to him! As my friend, he knew how hard I worked to make my business successful & yet he would work just as hard & just as late to make it successful for me! As my friend, he would provide his best support, his best advice & his best efforts in hopes that I would achieve the success that I desired the most! As my friend, he was the humor when I needed to laugh the most! As my friend, he inspired when I needed the most inspiration! And while I admit that I've made alot of mistakes in my life that have negatively affected myself, my business, my family & my "friends", it was Gary that showed the most kindness, the most support & the most friendship that no other person or "friend" ever did! While every "friend" & person I knew was looking for reasons to avoid me, he was too busy showing me reasons why he enjoyed me! To me, there will be no other person like him & a friend that everyone should have been blessed to know!

I already miss my friend very, very much, but I won't forget the wonderful gifts he brought to my life & the kind-caring friendship he had given me everyday he was alive! I just wish I could have given him as much kindness, caring, enthusiasm, inspiration, happiness, friendship & more as he had given to me! I definitely could not ask for a better friend than my best friend....Gary Mense! Thanx for meaning & being so much to me & I especially thank you for being such a great friend! I won't forget ya daddio!