In Memory of Justin

My brother Justin died earlier this week, sometime during the night on Monday night. Dusty, Lily, and I spent the rest of the week in Iowa with our family. Justin was only 32 years old; his death was a shock to everyone.

My favorite memory of Justin is from a weekend that maybe no one else even remembers... It was when Dina lived in her apartment in Rockwell City, years ago. I must have been 14 or 15 at the time. I can't remember what had been going on that weekend, but for one reason or another (maybe Justin had installed Dixie's remote car starter?), Justin was at Dad and Dixie's house around the time that I needed to go back to Mom's house in Rockwell City. Jason was there, too, but the boys had driven separately. They wanted to go see Dina's apartment, so I rode back to Rockwell with Justin - we visited Dina's place before he dropped me off. The point is, it was just the two of us, me and Justin in his car, and we just talked. I don't remember everything we talked about, but I remember how it felt to have that conversation with him -- It was the first time I really knew and felt that I was really his little sister. It wasn't just that I thought of him as a big brother to me, but that he really was, and he felt the same way. I have lots of memories of Justin, but that one means the most to me.

May he rest in peace.