Yesterday, I joined the People's Procession for Jack Layton's funeral. I never did anything like this before, but I felt it was the thing to do. Jack was known as a politician, a good politician - smart and passionate, and above all a very brave speaker and fighter for social justice and plain decency. His passing brought his accomplishments to light for many of us, and like thousands of people across the country, I was shaken by his life story. So many accomplishments that affect our day to day life... amazing generosity.
If you are not Canadian, you should know that during the last federal election here in May 2011, many more people started to pay attention to his views and many switched their vote. I remember thinking of him as our Obama phenomenon, and the sense of hope that he brought is almost like a religious wave of belief in salvation.
I spent most of the week processing his passing, trying to find a meaning to all this. Jack wrote a letter to all Canadians on his death bed, a strong message of love, hope and optimism - that's what he lived by. And during the funeral, his son Mike summed it up for me when he quoted a couple of Jack's advices : to 'always dream for more than a life time', and to 'not wait for the perfect conditions, make the best of what you have now'.
His words bring me back the clarity I need to keep the course with renewed determination.
Thank you Jack.
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