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I am not over the recent death of Tim Russert and I can't seem to shake it. When my boss called me to let me know, I actually screamed and immediately flipped to msn.com. And whether you're a print or broadcast kind of newsie, Russert was one of the best. Sure, it's pretty clear he was a democrat but unlike other "professionals" in the biz, you'd never know by his line of questioning.

I have become obsessed with watching the coverage and actually had to go to the store to peel myself off the tube. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a journalist, a writer and I have always been a current events/news junkie. My Papa was my role model and he hammered in the role of a reporter. It's not to cheer when a candidate wins (actually happened in a newsroom I worked in); it's not to attack because you don't agree; it's to report the news. That's it. Most journalists aren't really experts in anything besides journalism, AP Style and gossip. And truthfully, it's not their job. Their role is to report on the experts. It's to make sure the general public is informed. Tim Russert did that, and did it well.

The other day, I bawled over the interview of Luke Russert. He was on The Today Show to talk about his dad, his family, the whole ordeal. He was poised, strong, articulate. I sat at my desk crying hysterically while Matt Lauer struggled for words and this kid sat there and represented. He talked about Tim with such admiration and joy.

Today I scoured the Internet to pull a Tim quote to include in my company's next e-newsletter. Each issue I try to quote influential people like Thomas Edison, Bill Cosby, George Washington. I stumbled upon an interview he did on The Today Show in 2005 about his follow-up book to Big Russ and Me. In it, he said he received letters from people all over the country with stories about their dads that carried them through life. These were not grandiose gestures but little things that imprinted. It was really touching. Again, I sat there with tears. Lauer asked Russert about his relationship with his son. Russert said he wrote him a note the day he left for college that said, "Study hard, laugh often and keep your honor." And isn't that just it?

When I was in first grade my dad was on the school PTO. One day he had a meeting in the school during class hours. I don't know that I realized he would be there. We were hard at work when I looked up and saw him at my classroom. He was around 35, all spiffed up in a navy blue suit, red tie and he looked amazing. He held a single red rose. He walked up to my desk and handed it to me while my teacher gushed to the class. I can still see him in the doorway of the classroom. In fact, when I think of him now, that's the Dad I see. I was so happy and surprised -- and felt so lucky and proud.

I can only hope Joe and I are able to leave that sort of imprint on our boys.