My uncle, a great man.

my uncle died this weekend.

he was in a wheelchair, due to a spinal cord injury he suffered about 10 years ago when diving into a lake in about 5 feet of water.

He was a great, strong, and inspirational man. He raised an amazing son, Charlie, who is now a teenager, and is undoubtedly crushed by the loss of his father.

I know Charlie will "soldier on", but my heart is with him tonight. He has been through a lot for a boy to have to go through.

At least he will know that he had a truly inspirational father to look up to, and hopefully live up to.

Jeff Braunlich died this weekend after attending a Notre Dame football game with his family. He had had a lot of fun and laughs, but because he is paralyzed below the waist, he did not realize that when he whipped his wheelchair around a little too fast at one point, he broke his leg, and he began to have internal bleeding.

Family members say that the usually lively and vivacious Jeff was rather listless at the tailgating party. Not his usual self.

He went to sleep tired, but apparently fine... Saturday night I believe, I'll have to double check those facts.

He didn't wake up Sunday morning.

People always talk about Christopher Reeve, and in no way am I knocking Mr Reeve, he was an amazing man. But perhaps people should do some more talking about Jeff Braunlich and his family. He wasn't in movies, but he has inspired more people than you could possibly count, and he deserves to be honored, respected, and remembered for the "superman" that he was.

His funeral service will be later this week in Michigan somewhere. If I can scrounge up some money, I think I may make a road trip. Anyone with nothing to do and the itch for a trip is welcome to join me. I feel the need to pay my respects and see some family members that I haven't seen in way too long.

We used to all do every Christmas and summer together... for at least a few days, sometimes a week. (we being the WILDER family, and the offshoots).

The last few years that has slowed down.... we're too old, we have responsibilities, we're moving on, we have our "own lives to worry about".

To me thats bullshit. Our lives are our family. Our lives are each others lives.

Thats how it should be. And for that reason, I plan to find a way to get there, and hopefully recruit some followers in my quest to pay my respects to a man that truly deserves respect.

Jeff Braunlich