There's Time To Grieve For Wheldon And A Time To Celebrate His Life

How do we grieve? Memorials, speeches, flowers and monuments: That's all part of the public process. But how do we grieve when we're alone, with nothing but our pain? Hopefully, we never have to.

In these days of social media, it's easier to stay connected to family and friends and to share, even with strangers, the pain and the memories.

I lost a friend Sunday, a man I admired and respected, not for what made him famous, but for the man he was in private.

Dan Wheldon, a two-time Indy 500 winner, died Sunday during a horrific crash in the IndyCar season finale at Las Vegas. He was one of the best at his craft. He was also a wonderful family man, with a wife and two children at home.

I spent a lot of time Sunday night thinking about Dan. I got to know him during his several trips to Infineon Raceway at Sonoma. John Cardinale and his media relations team there reached out to Wheldon for a number of PR events, which he always seemed glad to do.

He was a sweet guy. He offered tips to some of the drivers when they became new fathers, like how to change a diaper. I saw him read stories to children and how he enjoyed spending time with his family.

That's what I thought about Sunday, not all the races he won during his career. In the coming weeks there will be a lot said about what a competitive driver and what a good friend he was. We all loved him.

Grief hurts, but the pain isn't mine to own. The pain — and the memories — will be shared by all who loved Dan.

The pain, hopefully, passes in time. The memories, hopefully, will stay with us always.