I love that I have so many friends and relatives with older kids. My children are all under the age of eight so when my husband and I find ourselves in the company of a nice, well-adjusted young adult, we often wonder what our own kids will be like at that age. Inevitably, we ask ourselves, what did these parents do to turn out such a good child?

Observing other people's older kids has truly informed our parenting. After all, they are the end "product,", so to speak, and we still have time to change course. We see things we like and don't like and adjust our rules or parenting styles accordingly.

With few exceptions, the proof is in the pudding.

This morning on the Today Show I saw an excellent example of this. In an interview with Matt Lauer, Luke Russert, the son of the recently deceased journalist, Tim Russert, demonstrated the kind of poise, good humor and love for his dad that spoke volumes about his upbringing and his parents.

The secret to Luke's character is not a secret. In a best-selling book (Big Russ and Me) and countless interviews he did promoting the book, Tim Russert talked about the lessons he learned and tried to pass on to his son. Life lessons about discipline, perseverance, accountability, and love through actions and words. These were lessons he learned from his parents, from the nuns and priests at his Catholic school, and from the hard-working ethics of his blue-collar community in Buffalo, New York.

I hope you will enjoy this clip as much as I did; I was especially tired today and this interview seemed to recharge my batteries and refocus my day. It was a powerful reminder to this mom that what I do as a parent matters. This family's tragedy and love for each other made me grateful for my own family and for the privilege it is to be with and raise my kids. My children are my legacy. Tim can be proud of his.

To learn more about Rachel Campos-Duffy visit her website at rachelcamposduffy.com.