I know the airwaves have been full of tributary recognition of the great Tim Russert… and since he has been on my mind so regularly since last Friday, I need to pay my respects as well.  I wasn’t a follower of his – rarely caught Meet the Press – only because of its inconvenient time, and didn’t read his book Big Russ and Me – but certainly heard him speak about it in many interviews.  But I did witness him, as most of us do, on his regular news show appearances.  He always caught my attention – because he was worth listening to – his measured, thoughtful, and trustworthy responses – his ability to simplify the chaotic political process.  And probably most of all, he just exuded warmth and compassion in every conversation he had with every person – a twinkle in his eye, the ultimate teddy bear.

It is interesting how we respond when a big personality dies.  When I caught this newsflash on my computer last Friday, I just had to stare at it for a few seconds as I was in disbelief.  He was such an energetic and authentic presence, it was hard to imagine not seeing him again.  Selfishly, I thought, how are we ever going to get through the upcoming presidential elections without Tim leading the way through the process?  Since then, I have heard some of his noted colleagues (like Andrea Mitchell) wonder the same thing.

Listening to the accolades – whether it is his family, Matt Lauer, Maria Shriver, Richard Engel, and the list goes on and on…I’m convinced that this man did not sleep, because in addition to managing an extremely demanding job, it seemed he deeply touched everyone who came into his life, who asked him for guidance.  He always made himself accessible…his reach was ever-wide… his touch was genuine and heart-felt – whether you were a President of the US, or the new intern at the Washington NBC Bureau.

But my emotions really hit a high when I saw his son Luke, who just graduated from BC, interviewed Monday morning on the Today Show (click here for video of interview).  My eyes fill up with tears as I even write this – what a poised and articulate young man he is, and what a wonderful tribute to his parents.  What made Tim so special was his commitment to every phase of his life – and being a father was his crowning achievement.  What ever the key to good parenting is, Tim and Maureen Orth certainly mastered it, instilling the importance of life lessons such as discipline, perseverance, accountability and compassion into their only son.

Luke told a story on the Today Show, that I had heard Tim tell a couple of years ago in an interview.  It was the story of a tattoo Luke had gotten his senior year in high school.  Just before he decided to get this tattoo, Luke had gone into his father’s office and read through the manuscript of Big Russ and Me.  After reading it, Luke went out and tattooed his father’s initials on his side.  So Christmas morning, Luke was trying on a shirt, and Tim caught a glimpse of this tattoo – and was none too pleased by it.  But when Tim realized that the tattoo was his own initials, and Luke responded:  ”Dad, I just always wanted to have you by my side,” Tim was overwhelmed with emotion.  I can only imagine how touching that moment must have been.

It’s funny how someone you don’t even know can leave a hole.  Tim  Russert is a true role model of how to live life and how to parent.  Probably the ultimate Mr. Nice, Smart Guy – a truly wise man.  In honoring his life, and the life lessons that we can learn from him, I think I’m finally going out to buy that book.