A Tribute to Tim Russert

Television has a strange way of connecting us to perfect strangers. When I heard of Tim Russert's death my heart literally skipped a beat. It couldn't be was my first reaction. It could not be the man I listened to every Sunday morning posing tough questions to his guests and always with a big boyish look about him. He is not that old.

Russert was a serious journalist with spunk. Sometimes he came off as a combative opponent looking for ways to surprise his guests but in a good way, not in the mean-spirited way. The message to me was I took the time to research everything about you because it is important that people get to know the real you.

I loved his questioning style and the smile that took over his face. There is a lot one can learn about a person through the medium of television and I believe he was everything that all his critics and admirers said. He was a good person. He was a caring person, an excellent father and husband as well as son to his father. He was also fair and thorough. His work excited him because every guest was a challenge to Russert.

I watched his interview with Barack Obama and I felt he was fantastic. He draws people out with his questions and he makes them think about what they are saying. He also sends a message that our words mean something. He may refer to a statement a person made 25 years ago and it's alright to say that "I've grown since then" but our words mean a lot.

Another lesson Russert taught by his death is to do what is important to you and if possible do it every day. He told his son he loved him every day. He spent time with his family. According to the many reports Russert family was his priority. Like the good Catholic boy, his God came first then family then work. He was not afraid to show his spiritual side.

Russert had just returned from a holiday in Italy celebrating his son's graduation from Boston College when he collapsed doing what he loved - his work at his office.

He died of a heart attack but how could that be? He had a clean bill of health just a month ago, someone said on Television. His doctor who had treated him for years explained that Russert suffered from a heart condition but it appeared under control. Russert was overweight. It was clear to see. With the nature of his work it was not easy to follow a typical diet and exercise. Under stress we put anything close to our hands in our mouths. We were told he liked his dark brew. Research shows that this lifestyle - stressful work, alcohol, inadequate diet and exercise - can and often lead to heart attack.

Russert's doctor also pointed out that although one's stress test could show positive results it does not mean that a stroke or heart attack could not occur shortly after. He said the plaques from the lining of the arteries could break lose and block an artery and lead to a massive, deadly heart attack which was the case with Russert's. I now understand the stories I heard of people coming out from a doctor's office with great check-ups and drop dead of heart attacks minutes later. Faling plaques. To me this underlines the importance of reducing one's risk by proper diet, exercise and medication.

We who will miss his work can find comfort in the fact that in one of Russert's interviews he said he had no regrets, that he has had a good run in life but he also expressed the hope of living long enough to see his son Luke get married and t have children. This was not to be. Fate would not have it this way.
Though Russert is gone, his spirit and his values and work ethics will endure because he was just a human being living an extraordinary life of spirit, family and work.