Uncle Mike

Its 3:40 am and I am having trouble sleeping. Yesterday, we lost a very important part of our life. Uncle Mike passed away shortly after 1pm. He was only 51 years old. A life seemingly far to young. A life, for which, I was lucky enough to be a part of.

Mike. What can I say about uncle Mike? He was a man that at times, I loved to hate. He was impatient, demanding, and most of the time, he seemed self centered. His love of racing, often times seemed like his only love. His comedic way and difficulty in sharing emotion, made him seem uncaring. That couldn't have been farther from the truth.

I witnessed his heart many times, but I will never forget the first. Wether or not he knew, I saw him crying while Al & I were saying our vows. At that moment, I knew there was much more to this man. I knew he had a huge heart, and that he really did think the world of Al.

I always said, Uncle Mike should have been a stand up comedian, because he was by far the funniest man I have ever known. He never missed a beat and how he came up with the things he said, I will never know. It was what drew people to him. Everyone loves a good laugh, and he was ALWAYS good for one. Its what made you love him, even if you were mad at him. There was no resisting his comedic charm.

Al and Mike had a very special bond. Al was like the son Mike never had. He was a huge part of Al's life and became a huge part of mine. I don't think there was ever a doubt, that our son should be named after him. I am sad that Colter Michael will never really get to know his Uncle Mike. We will do our best to keep his memory alive, but it will never be as good as the real Mike.

You are loved Michael. We are going to miss you greatly. God SPEED buddy!