R.I.P. Neil

It is with great sadness that we at Nothing Terribly Grandiose announce the passing of our dear friend, Neil.

Neil, named for legendary American songsmith Neil Young, came to us in late January, when she was moved from her home at Petco to the NTG Central offices on East 116th Street in New York. Her presence immediately brightened all our worlds.

Neil's journey on this earth was not an easy one. When we first met her, she was missing a piece of her tail, a scar from some past battle in the rough neighborhood of Petco. Shortly after we adopted her, she was dealt a crushing blow with the death of her only companion, an orange velvet swordtail named Crazy Horse. Neil and Crazy only knew each other a short while, but in the few days they spent together, they developed a close bond harshly broken by the realities of life.

Neil persevered, and within a matter of days she was blessed with the miracle of childbirth. Until this happened, it was widely believed (or rather, assumed) that Neil was male. This assumption was disproven one miraculous morning when we discovered as many as fifteen tiny fish exploring the tank for the first time. We were overjoyed!

This joy would not last, however. Neil was a dedicated mother, and she did not devour a single one of her children. This is practically unheard of among the fish kingdom, and surely Neil served as an example of love and devotion to her young. Over the coming months, however, while the tiny babies flourished and grew, the harshness of life proved stronger than they could become. Slowly, their numbers began to dwindle until one day in April, Neil's children were gone.

It is impossible to tell how old Neil was when she arrived in our lives, but we at Nothing Terribly Grandiose believe that while her life was fraught with tribulation and grief, the autumn of her years was pleasant and peaceful. It is an honor having known a soul as kind as Neil, and we now move on with hearts heavy with the lesson of love she taught us.

Neil is survived by Neon and Dawkins. She swims into the afterlife to join her children and her dear friends Crazy Horse, Other Neon, That Guppy I Never Named, and The Phantom.

Contributions in lieu of flowers may be sent to the Neil Foundation, c/o the NTG Central Offices, East Harlem, New York.


"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for thou art with me." ~Psalm 23


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