I just couldn’t end the day without saying goodbye to Tony Snow. I never met Tony myself, but I’ve watched his work since long before he became a household name.

Writing a biography of the man’s work is something I shouldn’t even attempt. But, there is one key thing he did that changed my life; he ended the brick wall between the media and the rest of the world.

From speechwriter for the first Bush administration, to talk show substitute, to editorializing, he became the first host of Fox News Sunday. But, Tony never let being a straight-shooting journalist keep him from telling folks what he really thought. And, he was the first to do it all with gusto. Juggling political commentator and journalist sounds like saying one thing and writing another. From my admittedly limited experience in both both a journalist and a commentator… I assure you, it’s admirable how well he did it each week.

Few on either side of the political aisle attacked him for it, well, few with anything other than jealousy. Why? Because he did both jobs as if the other didn’t exist. He showed the world that you can have opinions, try to convince others of them, and still be true to being a journalist.

I always looked up to Tony Snow, he was, and still is a role model. I don’t think I would be able to do what I do every day without walking in his footsteps every day.

But, probably the thing I learned last from him… and still am learning after he is gone, is to smile. No matter what happens in this random sense of life, you have to feel blessed that you’re in it, that you can change it, and that you can help make it better. And, enjoying that alone is what I think people should learn the most from him.