At Christmas, my Uncle Chris mentioned that writing his memoir has been more challenging than his other books. Surrounded by loud, fast-talking family members who interrupt, we never got to finish our conversation. 

I do know finding content wasn’t an issue and the circumstances of his retirement have provided more. The host and author of Hardball got called out in a game he wasn’t even playing. Politics has become humorless, divisive and depressing. There are no winners.

While this week’s events won’t be more than a chapter in his memoir, they could help shape it.

Recalling and analyzing decades of important moments and people in your life, both good and bad, is emotionally exhausting. And, it’s the easy part. The challenge is fitting those disparate pieces together to tell a meaningful story. Unexpected change leaves a fresh perspective in its wake – a new way of seeing one’s life. Knowing my uncle, he’ll make this a gift to his readers.

The MSNBC show is only a small part of his legacy. He helped build schools in Africa with the Peace Corps, wrote speeches for a president and raised a family with his wife. Chris Matthews is a brilliant and respected political commentator and writer, but he is also a generous and thoughtful son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, friend and uncle who always puts family first. 

Chris Matthews is living a home run.