Last night, on the TVO program, a reporter for the National Post said that the tragedy of Jack's death was that he was so optimistic and positive and still died far too young; this, he said, proves wrong our belief that being positive helps in the fight for health. I think he completely missed the point. Jack may have been unbelievably positive during his mortal combat, during all his combats, but the fact is, the man worked incredibly hard in a stressful job all his life. It's possible, cheerful or no, that Jack Layton worked himself to death for his country.
The aspect of the tragedy that affects me most is that this man struggled for decades to attain a position where his ideas could make a huge difference - and that finally, against all odds, he had reached that pinnacle. He was at the apex of his professional life, and surely his personal life too, with his extraordinary marriage and the birth of his granddaughter, when cancer struck again.
For a great man to die before his time is always cruel, but to watch one cut down just as he achieves the goals of his entire lifetime is devastating.
Not to mention the devastating fact that there's no one, now, to stop Stephen Harper's callous agenda.
4.30 p.m. It's one of the most stunning days of summer, sunny with a fall breath of coolness - perfect. I'm aware, all the time, that a heroic man is not here to witness it - a man born in July 1950, only a week and a few days ahead of me.
I'll just have to enjoy it twice as much, for us both.
No comments:
Post a Comment