Tim Russert

I am not exactly sure why Tim Russert’s death has effected me so much.  I didn’t know him.  I hardly watched Meet the Press when it was on Sunday morning.  I did look forward to his run downs on The Today Show and Nightly News.  I read his book when it came out a few years ago and it has stayed with me since then. 

At least one part has.  It was the part his son quoted today during his memorial service when he was speaking about loss.  Tim Russert said to one of his friends who suffered the tragic loss of a child, that if you knew when God gave you this boy that you would have only 17 years with him would you still want to know the boy.  Of course the answer is yes.  Always yes.  Not that I am a morbid person, or think the worse every day, but part of how I function as a parent is knowing that anytime something could happen and I try to live each day making sure that hopefully something doesn’t happen, but also hoping that the time I have with my children is worth it. The idea that at any time they could be called home to heaven is a sickening thought, but as I put them to bed each night I am thankful for the day we had and pray for many more.  So even though I didn’t know Tim Russert he helped frame my “thinking” about being a parent. 

As I watched Luke Russert talk about his father this week, I have been struck time and again by how composed, well spoken and lovely he his.  I don’t know him, I am sure he has made choices that weren’t so great, but I have thought time and again, that if my boys turned out like him I would be so proud to say they were my children.  Luckily, Luke Russert had a father who told him that, in person, in writing and on film. 

There is also something about seeing someone who shares your same faith who was so loved, adored and respected being honored for who they were.  There is a commanality about being Catholic.  We may not have gone to the same parish but we went to the same Sunday Mass.  We knew the same things, we understood about being taught by nuns who were always, always watching.  There are so many things to be ashamed about in the Catholic Church.  But there are things to be proud of as well and this week Tim Russert brought to light some of those things and for that I am eternally grateful.   

 

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