Tim Russert's sudden passing has been chronicled, his memory feted, his legacy honored. It is a story of a man who's life honored God's greatest gift. The love he gave was evident in stories from every quarter.
This ground of shocking loss stirs memories of an earlier crossing for me. In the six years since, I've learned it's all choice: wallow in the sadness, mourn what seems a history truncated, or accept that endings are beginnings. When confounded by unfolding events, experience has taught me there will come a day when purpose is revealed for the incomprehensible. Instead of wallowing or mourning, what if we choose to live for that moment--a future worth living into.
I bought a TiVO because of Tim Russert; he had the audacity to broadcast during Mass. My DVR now holds that final program of remembrance, a sort of digital memorial. The last few minutes sum up a life well-lived. He was a good and faithful servant, an example to all who are blessed to be fathers too.
UPDATE: Be sure to click the continued link to see The Boss' surprise farewell.