16 June 2008

Goodbye, Tim; Hello, Luke

I heard about Tim Russert's death on my way home from work on Friday. I was surprised by how personal the news felt, as though I actually knew the man. There's something scary about seeing someone appear in perfect health on national TV one day and then hear the next day that he died.

Many people have said nice things about Mr. Russert, much more eloquently than I ever could. The words that touched me most, though, were ones I heard this morning on the Today show, from Tim's son Luke. I can't believe this kid. He spoke with a poise and candor way beyond his years, and his composure would have been eerie had he not conveyed such a genuine warmth and love for his dad.

Too bad he's only 22. I have a serious celebrity crush.

13 comments:

Liz Jimenez said...

I saw the Today show this morning, too. I was really impressed with the way he handled himself. I, of course, started crying again. Weird, indeed, that the death of someone I don't know can affect me like that. In part because I so firmly associate him with my dad, but even still... sigh.

jmb77vol said...

Tell me about it! I lost my dad a little over a year ago, and this has brought the emotions rushing back. I couldn't fight the tears when I saw the picture of Luke touching his dad's chair on the Meet the Press set. What a neat kid--his parents raised a good one.

BethanyWD said...

Gah, I know, I was practically HYSTERICAL watching it this morning. What a great job Tim and Maureen did in raising Luke.

mlg said...

I watched MSNBC all weekend. Tim Russert was the one news person I could watch and not get bored or distracted (or dissatisfied with fluffy stories).

I wonder if Luke will follow his fathers footsteps?

Mary Ellen said...

This, and the Ted Kennedy thing, have inexplicably touched me.

K said...

Tim Russert reminds me a lot of my father. Maybe because they were born in the same year, and had very similiar upbringings. Maybe because from 1991 to 1996 - when my father died - they spent an hour together each Sunday morning. I am sure the fact that Tim made it clear to anyone who was paying attention how proud he was of his son is such a gift to Luke now. Seeing Luke on the today show this morning made me realize why his father was so proud of him.

Anonymous said...

I saw Luke today too. I too was in awe with the poise he had. Wow.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who has been taking this kind of hard. It feels like I have lost a great and beloved teacher - which Tim Russert was for me, making me fall in love with election season. He took such joy from the entire process, how could I not fall in love with it too? I am heartbroken that he will miss all the fun in this historic campaign, and sad that I will miss his commentary and analysis.

Sharon Bartlett said...

I feel exactly the same way, Snick.
And I was touched by his son's obvious love for his dad, as well as his eloquence. Tim Russert will truly be missed. He was one of the great ones.

Anonymous said...

Living in DC, we feel like Tim was a part of our immediate community when we read about him attending parties here and met people who knew him. I was watching coverage this weekend and wondering if the rest of the country thought it was crazy to be so intense but now I know other people felt the same way. Luke was amazing on the Today Show. I want him to be Obama's running mate!

Keen said...

I've been so, so sad about Tim Russert, and this article was so uplifting. What a wonderful young man.

Mouthy Girl said...

Like you, I was stunned and impressed by Luke's ability to share his father and his memories with the country while speaking with Matt Lauer.

Seeing that picture of him touching his dad's chair and talking about how it was now HIS chair...oy vey...I was reduced to tears.

I was brought to tears again when I saw a recap on the NBC evening news - they showed a still shot of the people on Meet the Press this past Sunday. Everyone held it together while the cameras were rolling but were privately sobbing during the breaks.

I have no idea how Luke is holding it together other than to believe that he's channeling his dad during this horrible time. Like other comments on this thread, the loss of this man brought back the loss of my Dad. *sigh*

Christine said...

I saw that too. Nice-looking kid. His dad was a class act, too. Nice tribute to Tim in this week's Newsweek. Such a shame.