Today is our son Jason’s birthday. It would have been his 26th.

Jason took his life in May of 2006. He had been fighting bipolar disease for over 10 years, and it got too much for him. There’s more info (and some of his music; he was very talented) on his web site at www.jasonhellewell.com (which could use a bit of updating).

Pam and I still make regular trips to the cemetery to place fresh flowers on his grave site. For holidays, we decorate a bit; a bit of sparkly ribbon, a small Christmas tree with decorations.

For his birthday, some fresh roses, along with a small birthday balloon.

It was quite rainy today and a bit windy today. Although we were all wearing coats, we forgot an umbrella. Stacy (youngest daughter) was with us; her coat had a hood. Pam and I had hoodless coats.

But I did find an empty 24-pack soda box (the fridge type). I enlarged the hole a bit, and wore it on my head to block some of the rain. Pam and Stacy laughed at the sight of me with the empty soda box on my head.

We like to think that Jason also laughed.