Remembering Tim Russert
I heard the news on Friday, erev Shabbat, on NPR, and thought I was' hearing things.' Tim Russert, host of Meet the Press, had died of an apparent heart attack, at 58 years old.
I used to be an avid watcher of Meet the Press, which aired Sunday mornings. I loved the direct, hard questions he asked of the guests on his show, whether they were media people, CEOs or Presidents. He wasn't afraid of dissent, he wasn't concerned about political correctness, and he wasn't afraid of offending his sometimes exalted guests:
He always held them accountable for past statements. I was always excitedly looking forward to hear whom he was going to show up, to force to "clarify," "explain," or backtrack from their current or previous statements, stands and comments on the issues, whatever they might have been.
After I heard the news, I read about and listened to the story of his life, and I learned that 'off the job' he was a truly religious man (he was Catholic)--a good husband and father, and he very much loved and revered his own father, who, along with his wife and son survive him. I plan on reading his two books, Big Russ and Me (about his father), and The Wisdom of Our Fathers (about what his readers sent him in emails, about their fathers). It almost sounds Jewish. . . click on the title link of this post to read about him, his work and his life.
I don't know why G-d takes a good person away before his time...he once said, according to what was stated at the tribute held for him today at his studio on Meet the Press (paraphrased), that 'he was blessed in being a son, husband and father, and having a job he loved, and that all he wanted was to continue working at what he loved and see his son grow up and become a father himself.' Tim Russert sounded as if he was a happy man; but that last wish was not granted to him in his too-short lifetime on this earth.
All I can say is, I will miss him. Baruch Dayan ha-Emet*...
*blessed be the true Judge.
I used to be an avid watcher of Meet the Press, which aired Sunday mornings. I loved the direct, hard questions he asked of the guests on his show, whether they were media people, CEOs or Presidents. He wasn't afraid of dissent, he wasn't concerned about political correctness, and he wasn't afraid of offending his sometimes exalted guests:
He always held them accountable for past statements. I was always excitedly looking forward to hear whom he was going to show up, to force to "clarify," "explain," or backtrack from their current or previous statements, stands and comments on the issues, whatever they might have been.
After I heard the news, I read about and listened to the story of his life, and I learned that 'off the job' he was a truly religious man (he was Catholic)--a good husband and father, and he very much loved and revered his own father, who, along with his wife and son survive him. I plan on reading his two books, Big Russ and Me (about his father), and The Wisdom of Our Fathers (about what his readers sent him in emails, about their fathers). It almost sounds Jewish. . . click on the title link of this post to read about him, his work and his life.
I don't know why G-d takes a good person away before his time...he once said, according to what was stated at the tribute held for him today at his studio on Meet the Press (paraphrased), that 'he was blessed in being a son, husband and father, and having a job he loved, and that all he wanted was to continue working at what he loved and see his son grow up and become a father himself.' Tim Russert sounded as if he was a happy man; but that last wish was not granted to him in his too-short lifetime on this earth.
All I can say is, I will miss him. Baruch Dayan ha-Emet*...
*blessed be the true Judge.
Comments
I hope he is comforted by the fact that his son found his calling and lived a good life, for his years on this earth.