Back when Betsy Rothstein ran FishbowlDC, a blog once closely read by virtually everyone in Washington political media, she would post a recurring feature called “How Can I Make It About Me?” In those pieces, she ruthlessly and gleefully mocked high-profile journalists and political figures who could take a moment of significance — it was often the death of some notable figure in the city — and tweet or write about how directly important it was to themselves.

The point was to ridicule and, yes, embarrass the D.C. writers, pundits, and reporters for their bottomless capacity to insert themselves into any important moment. That’s why I’m not sure what to say about Betsy, who was once my editor and who, even after we parted professionally, remained a good friend. She died on Sunday. I know that sharing my thoughts about her and our relationship would jolt her ghost into immediately banging out a blistering 300-word item on my overt narcissism.