Tim Russert: Big Man, Big Loss (and 1 in Half a Million)

As you know by now, we lost Tim Russert last week. A sudden, tragic and painful loss, he will be missed by his family, friends and so many millions.

Tim was a brilliant man with a huge heart whose authenticity and values were clear to see. I appreciated him, along with millions of others, for who he was and the job he did for all of us.

Like all lives, it’s sad when they end but Tim’s passing is further reaching than most for he impacted so many. The good news is he made a difference the bad news is that means all the more people will feel the loss.

[As tragic as Tim’s passing is, it’s important to note what Dr. Oz said: “Of the 450,000 people a year who die of heart attacks in this country, probably half of them never knew they were at risk of a heart attack.” That means Tim, as special as he was in many ways was just 1 in nearly half a million each year who die from heart disease. That seems like too many to me.]

In every major life event, such as death, there are life-lessons to be learned: Allow me to share a few that come to mind in this case.

The first and most obvious is you never know how long you have. Thus it’s wise to avoid things that lesson your odds of seeing tomorrow—like ignoring your health and wellbeing.

Walking the Tightrope of Health?

Given Tim’s physical appearance it’s easy to suggest that he was walking a tightrope of health. I admit to having had my own inner-dialogues about what looked to me like an imbalance of food and exercise. Still, according to his doctors, Tim was “eating better” and “exercising” – which is comforting to know.

And I also appreciate that the doctors affirmed that “weight does matter,” and Tim was struggling with eating well and controlling his weight on demanding travel schedule he endured during the campaign. [Note to self: eat well at least 80% of the time.]

But then this still gets me a little agitated for while Tim was doing what the doctors wanted, it sounds to me like the standard medical message, “…do just enough to stay alive.” Another case of confusing “true health” with “the absence of disease.” Which in my book is aiming too low.

I think it’s time we stop waiting for things to scare us to health before we take action.

My guess is that in Tim’s case and millions of others, it wouldn’t take a psychic to project the growing risk a decade or more ago. Perhaps this is the time when someone should have / could have helped Tim see forward and create a Turning Point. I can only imagine a greater difference could have been made sooner.

That said, I appreciate what Dr. Nancy L. Snyderman said as a final comment regarding Tim’s death on the Today show, “seems God had other plans for Tim.”

She’s right—it wasn’t something we could have seen coming nor necessarily prevented at this point.

My final lesson came to me as I watched the tribute edition of Meet the Press Sunday. I couldn’t help but think about how sad it is that we (meaning me and a lot of others) don’t always fully appreciate people—and all they bring to our lives—until they are gone.

Practice gratitude and appreciation every day. It’s not enough to have good intentions—gratitude is a muscle, you must train every day. The more you strengthen it, intentionally, the more open you will be to life and the more in awe you will find yourself.

People are amazing—life is amazing but most of us are far too busy to notice this until tragedy jolts us to our senses. When life jolts you to the present moment, grab hold and hang on!

And finally, to Tim… thank you for living life full strength! May you peace be yours.

Comments

[Art Lawrence]

Meet The Press was a Sunday staple in my home, not just because of the content, but because of the personality of Tim Russert. I didn't fully realize that until he was gone. I have tried to watch the program since but haven't found it as riviting as before.

I had signed up for the Summer Challenge but my wife hadn't shown any interest until Tim's passing. She is now fully on board like I've never seen her. An upside to a tragic event I guess.

I love your blog and newsletter. I reading Strength For Life right now. It's helping me greatly. Thanks. -Art

[Werner]

Hi Shawn,

I saw this article in the New York Times and it really fits with the theme Strength For Life:

'Fit, Not Frail: Exercise as a Tonic for Aging'
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/health/24brod.html?em&ex=1214539200&en=01d825baa9883885&ei=5087%0A

[Werner]

Hi Shawn,

Tim's passing was the culmination of recent personal events, of a similar nature, that have made a real impact with me. It's almost like someone is waving a 'Caution' flag in my face and whispering in my ear, "This can happen to you... but it's not too late."

The news reported it was Tim's behavior of working long hours and poor eating habits that directly attributed to his early demise at the age of 58.

It was the same for the other two men I knew – ages 48 and 38. One guy knew he had a problem but didn't make any attempt to change his behaviors. The other guy had no idea and died suddenly this past Friday, leaving a wife and four young children.

I've been having trouble finding my motivation - but that's no longer an obstacle after this past weekend.

With Strength,
Werner