I hope my friends love me the way Tim Russert's loved him

[Wetzelbill]

I hope that for all of us. That's the one thing that his sudden death has taught me. Say what you will about him professionally, or the extensive coverage of his death, but people like Tom Brokaw, Andrea Mitchell, Keith Olbermann, Charlie Rose, Bob Schieffer and even John McGlaughlin and Bill Kristol have said and/or written such moving nice things about the man that I have nearly been reduced to tears a hundred times. Even people like my dad and an uncle were in shock and they don't follow politics nearly as much as most of us do. I remember years ago how my dad told me he thought Russert was an interesting guy, and was enthralled about his upbringing and how he spoke of his father, Big Russ. I think it reminded my dad of his father.

I always respected Tim Russert, I had my critiques of him professionally, for sure, but I respected him and watched his show virtually every Sunday for nearly six years now. But I respect him a million times more as a person than anything else. Seeing how he touched the people around him. The way he made them feel. How they still feel. I can't believe it. Sometimes when a famous person dies, you watch others go through the motions with little tributes and so on. Maybe a few people actually care, but mainly they are quickly remembered and it's on to business again. But with Russert, you see people breaking down on tv. In real pain. They hurt. You can feel how much he meant to each and every one of these people. It's like a part of them has died too. Like they truly have lost something.

I am humbled by that.

It makes me want to be a better person. To go out and touch someone's life. Because it goes to show you that a person doesn't have to be the Pope, or JFK or MLK or Gandhi. They don't have to be world renowned and revered. Because if the people around you love you the way Tim Russert's friends and family seem to love him then you'll be remembered. And you'll have lived a great life.

[acmavm]

1. Well, let's hope you don't betray your 'friends' that way that

Timmy betrayed the American people.

[Sequoia]

12. and Chimp is at his Wake instead of doing something, anything

dammit about those people being flooded in the USA. Just bury him and get on with it. Ever since Friday it's been nothing but Tim on the news. No disrespect for the dead, but our people are in misery and Bush goes to a wake after partying in Europe and making goofy faces on a basketball court. God help us.

[babylonsister]

2. Lovely, and you're right. He did live a great life and that's

reflected in the sorrow his friends feel. I would have been happy to call him a friend just based on the reactions I've seen, politics aside; he was very unselfish in his love and deeds for his friends. That's a great legacy.

[Wetzelbill]

3. I know

Politics aside is right. I could go on all day about how I thought he should have questioned somebody a certain way or whatever, but besides that, I can't believe how much he touched people. I knew he was a likable guy and was a heavyweight among his colleagues, but usually people like that step on more toes and make enemies. Washington is a superficial place filled with overblown egos, it seems like everyone loved him. Yeah, maybe he could have asked Dick Cheney a certain question, but when I read how Craig Crawford said Russert stopped him and asked about his ankle which had been broken a few months before and that Crawford didn't even think Russert knew about, well, that makes my heart swell. Call me a sucker, but there is something to be said for being a decent person.

[stray cat]

4. Its a great take home message - thanks for pointing it out!

[Wetzelbill]

5. You're welcome

[driver8]

6. Tim Russert was from Buffalo, NY and I went to college in western NY.

I live in CA now, but always chat with an artist from Buffalo at our farmer's market. He was telling me that the flags in Buffalo are flying at half-mast in honor of Tim Russert. He was definitely a hero to that city.

Nice post, too!

[Wetzelbill]

7. Glad you liked it

Yeah I am amazed at the outpouring of grief. Blown away. I heard the thing about the flags, that's great that he kept such a close connection to the city.

[Bluerthanblue]

8. Wow- this might

be the most poignant post I've read yet about the whole thing.

Thank you so much for sharing this. I didn't have personal ties to Tim, but I admit the timing and sudden-ness of his death came on some personal painful "anniversaries". My father's untimely death 10yrs ago, and my mothers death on "father's day" of the same year-(4mos after my 'Da').

Grief is a difficult thing- stages come when they come- some never leave-
Judging someone based on their "public" persona- can be deceiving. As you so beautifully point out- the grief of those who really knew Tim- the stories of ways he demonstrated his love for people reveals a perspective of him that his 'profession' didn't. And like you, I would like to leave this world having touched those around me in such positive, compassionate way.

I was on my town's cemetery board long ago- and had the job of gathering and recording information on each the hundreds of gravestones scattered throughout this old village. One marker still sticks out in my mind. It was a woman who had died in the mid 1800's- she'd lost several babies and young children before dying at nearly the half century I've now reached.

Her marker held the words, "She never gave us grief, until she died". Corny? yeah maybe, but those who loved her, those she loved- obviously didn't think so.

Life is fragile-

Thank you again for your beautiful post.

peace~

[Wetzelbill]

9. you're welcome

Thank you for replying. I was touched by how many people felt genuine grief over his death. That people on all sides of the spectrum loved the man says a lot about him. For me, this post wasn't about politics, we all could argue that all day long, but it was about the person. And if people loved him this much, then Tim Russert had to be a wonderful person. That counts for something.

[Wetzelbill]

10. shameless kick

:)

[XOKCowboy]

11. I hope that my friends don't feel the need to monopolize the public networks

for almost a week deifying me to make themselves look good/feel better when I die.

[Beaverhausen]

13. You are so right. Even that heartless Mary Matalin was in tears on sunday

To have so many people spend all that time telling all those funny and sweet stories about him just goes to show how many people's lives he touched very deeply.

[Wetzelbill]

15. I think that's the key

Look at how he touched their lives. I mean honestly, I think about politics constantly, every single day all the time. I had my bones to pick with Tim Russert's interviews here and there. We all have, I'm sure. But besides that, look at what he meant to others on a personal level. It's amazing. It makes me feel good about the world that people still care a little bit anyway. Odd I know.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

14. My dear Wetzelbill...

What a beautiful post...

I think it's very easy to forget that he was a man, a human being, who obviously cared about the folks around him...

You've put your finger right on the essence of truth here...

He touched other people's lives, and they are mourning his death, the loss of his presence ...

I think you will be remembered the same way, sweetie...

I hope I will be too...

K&R

:hug:

On edit: Proud to give you the fifth rec for the Greatest Page!

:patriot:

[Wetzelbill]

17. thank you very much, Peggy.

I swear, you are a treasure. It's wonderful knowing you a little. :)

I just was moved by how people felt about him. Even people who I don't particularly like at all or would never agree with like Bill Kristol or Mary Matalin. The amount of love is amazing. Sure, the coverage is excessive and so on and there are other stories that should be covered too, but I find heart in the outpouring of grief for him. Maybe he didn't ask somebody the questions I would have liked him to ask, but he seemed to be a good person to all those around him, and obviously he was fiercely loved for it. That means something to me.

[TahitiNut]

16. Hell... I just hope someone finds my body within 10 days.

:shrug: :eyes: On second thought, who gives a shit?

[Wetzelbill]

18. haha

Oh I'm sure people love you. Despite your jerkish tendencies. :)

[glitch]

19. Lol!

I was just going to respond to the OP with "Good God, I hope not", but your post made me laugh.

[Canuckistanian]

20. I'm not convinced that all this praise is coming from his 'friends'

No doubt that there is a heartfelt loss from his true friends and family.

But I believe that this non-stop eulogy is coming from those with ulterior motives.

Call me cynical.

[Wetzelbill]

25. oh man that would suck

[stevedeshazer]

21. Nicely done, Bill

There are many times that I yelled and threw stuff at my teevee when Russert was saying something I disagreed with or accepting and unacceptable answer from a politician or public figure.

But on reflection, I can also remember times when I thought he asked a good question and bored in on poor answers.

Nobody's perfect, and the goddess knows I'm not, but if when my time comes I have the respect of my friends and the love of my family, well, what else is there in this life?

Peace. :)

[Wetzelbill]

29. thanks for replying

Yes Steve, I would always get some crazy stares from my brother when I'd yell at the tv, lol. Nobody is perfect, he certainly wasn't, but he seems to have been a great guy and people loved him for it. That's a good thing. :)

[easttexaslefty]

22. That is so true

you do not have to be rich or famous to be well loved. At the end, all that matters is love....

[Wetzelbill]

30. right on

:)

[JerseygirlCT]

23. Nicely said. nt

[Wetzelbill]

28. thank you

[NNN0LHI]

24. Wouldn't you rather have your friends love you a lot while you are alive?

After your dead its kind of meaningless.

Don

[Wetzelbill]

27. well yeah

I'm sure they all loved him before he actually died.

[DesertRat]

26. Very well said

We should all be so fortunate to be loved and missed by so many people as Tim Russert apparently is. I watched his son on the Today show yesterday talking so eloquently about what his father meant to him. What a wonderful legacy.

[Wetzelbill]

31. yes

thank you. To have a legacy like that, in which, people love you so much they break down on television. Wow. When a pro like Brokaw loses it like he did, that threw me for a loop.

[Olney Blue]

32. I love your post. This experience reminded me also of how important even

small gestures are to those around you. He inspired me to pay more attention.

[Wetzelbill]

33. it's easy to forget people remember little things

One act of kindness may not seem much but people will remember that. Glad you liked it and thanks for replying.