Some news that, tragic as it is, puts me at ease spiritually.  One of my brother's many girlfriends, Trish, died last week.  She burned to death in her home.  The firefighters are ruling out her death as accidental.  Her home was in foreclosure, she was severely depressed and was a big-time alcoholic, so, knowing her, I'm sure she got extremely drunk one night, had a cigarette dangling in her hand as usual, and it fell to the floor and caught the carpet on fire, which spread to the drapes, which spread to the gas generator, and BOOM!!!  Or it could've been a suicide.  I'll never know.  All I know is...now my brother has some company in the afterlife, someone to pluck from the fires of hell (if that's where she was headed) to come join him in heaven (which I'm sure is where he is).  It sort of frees MY mind and spirit knowing that, if my brother was lonely in the afterlife, now he's not anymore!  Now he's got someone he has known RECENTLY to spend time with.  Sure, he's got long-lost relatives, but I don't think he knew them as well as he knew Trish.  Now, oddly enough, I think I'm beginning to feel at lease, knowing that HE'S okay, and can get on with my life.