I was vacationing when the CBC broadcasted the state funeral for NDP Jack Layton on Saturday. I did remember to DVR the broadcast and was happy that I did. I saw most of the service last night although it was cut off as it went beyond the original programming. I have to applaud the careful planning that went into the service. This was a quintessentially Canadian event and it reflected the best of Canadian society. I thought that the service was a magnificent celebration of Jack's life and reflected his personal values of inclusion, compassion, tolerance, respect and diversity.
As a Canadian now working and living in America, I was proud to see Canadians of all political persuasions come together to honor a good and decent man. His final letter to Canadians has been the subject of much discussion and I hope that it will continue to inspire young Canadians to continue the legacy of Jack's life by working toward a more just, equitable, compassionate and tolerant world.
I will leave you with the final phrase from Jack Layton's final letter to Canadians.
"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world."