Life from Both Sides

On Friday, when I first saw the headlines about Tim Russert's death, I suddenly felt very sad.

I'd long admired his ability to moderate all the discussions - whether roundtables of pundits or presidential debates.

Tim Russert was one of those people I think of as operating on a higher plane - by that I mean that state of flow where you're at the proverbial top of your game, perfectly in sync with your strengths and interests, informed and in total control of a situation.

And in reading about his devotion to his family and faith, and what they call his blue-collar roots, I only felt a little more melancholy.

But learning that he had just returned from a celebratory trip to Italy with his wife and newly graduated son, that he died at work, a place and a situation he clearly relished, my thoughts changed.

Here was a man who clearly left this world his own terms, his heart likely full of joy and love, instead of fear and a sense of foreboding.

We should all be so fortunate.