Nice day for reflection.  Finally got a bit of rain, which cooled us off significantly.

When at home I can look out my window and see my neighbor's trellis.  Five or six or seven years ago my brother gave them a couple of clematises.  Billy decided to plant them on the side of the house facing my window, so it's always a pleasure to look out and see them blooming in the Spring.

Seeing them also brings back a good bit of earthly pain.  Our neighbor, Billy, passed away a few months ago, prior to his 70th birthday due to complications from early-onset Alzheimer's.  Simply a great neighbor and a man you would love to emulate.  Always giving to others without any expectation of return.  Went on many a mission trip to Mexico, mostly to help build stuff.  He was the kind of guy who could measure your room for crown molding, go out and cut it, and it would fit.  That's the opposite of me:  Measure three times, cut it long, and then trim it 'till it fits.

Also, about three years ago, my brother had a bleeding blood vessel in his brain stem.  He passed away about a week later.  He wasn't even 60.

So, I'm sitting here at my computer, looking out the window, and feeling pretty melancholy.  A bit teary-eyed.  I miss both Billy and my brother, but, just like that clematis blooms every Spring, I believe that Billy and my brother have "bloomed" into a better life with the Lord. Pretty hokey analogy, I know!

I guess I shouldn't sit here and play songs on my computer that reminds me of those who have gone on beforehand.