America has lost a hero. That term may be overused today. But Charles Krauthammer was certainly a hero. He died last week. Charles was the essence of integrity, authenticity and grace. Fox News aired a special last Friday. A rich, vibrant recounting of Krauthammer’s life. Told mostly by himself in a reserved, erudite manner. Shared openly based on his life experiences. More clinical. Less cathartic. That was so much him. I found myself tearing for the entire hour. But here is the point of this message. Brett Bair, Fox anchor interviewed Charles during this piece. Brett Bair is a solid professional. He delivers the news objectively, unemotionally every evening at 6pm.

Obviously, he and Charles were deeply connected to one another. Brett closed the interview by reading a message Krauthammer had sent only to him. Conveying the news he had but a few weeks to live. A message to be shared later with all the others around the world who so loved and respected this incredible man.

Bair began reading the message … his head down. As he came to the last few sentences, you could hear his voice begin to tremble. Brett had worked through his own personal struggles with a son who was living with severe heart problems.

Then this. He raised his head, with tears streaming down his cheeks. So many times you will see someone at this moment apologize, “Sorry… Can’t believe I’m getting so emotional.” Or they’ll wave their hand in front of their face attempting to dry their tears. But Brett never flinched. Never apologized. Rather he truly felt the depth of his emotions at that moment. Let his tears flow unapologetically. A clear reflection of the depth of his feelings for his great friend.
The show ended. The final scene? Brett’s tear filled face. In full on the screen. As the picture faded to black.
The lesson here? Brett Bair did not apologize for his tears. We should never apologize for our own tears when they flow either.