A digression from education to post about the deep loss to our country from the passing of Tim Russert. My husband and I have watched countess hours of coverage by Russert and now about him since his death on Friday. He truly was the great interpreter as many have called him over the weekend. I was inspired to post today after hearing his son, Luke, who spoke on the Today show. While grieving deeply for this father, he eloquently and succinctly reflected upon what his father meant to his family and to the country. Like father … like son. As noted in the linked article, Tim Russert said he named his son Luke after Saint Luke the Evangelist, who wrote, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” He also noted in an interview with Larry King that he sent his son off to college with three pieces of advice that were strikingly similar to my mom’s mantra of "Be a good boy / girl, have a good time, and learn a lot." The bitter sweet part of this untimely passing is that we received a healthy reminder to treasure the blessings in our lives and to never forget the obligations that come from receiving those gifts.