You know Mom, sometimes I wonder where I came from. If I didn’t look so much like Dad, I swear, you’d think you found me in a trashcan in upper state New York on your way back to North Carolina from Canada, after a visit with Grandma & Grandpa. Really.
You remember that argument we all had in the kitchen that night? About Sikhs in the RCMP wearing their turbans? Well, double, no quadruple that, and you have a smidge of an idea of the national debate this last election on whether Muslim women should be allowed to wear the niqab at their citizenship swearing-in ceremony.
Thankfully, oh so anal-retentively conservative Harper was kicked to the curb, and a Liberal Sweep was ushered in by a new Trudeau-mania on October 19th. Yes, you got it Justin is our PM. AND that woman WAS allowed to wear her niqab (although the events didn’t transpire in that order). Our court system ruled, well basically said that one can wear anything they want to the ceremony…like DUH… it’s a ceremony. All citizens are ID’d previous to the official designation, and all the paperwork has been done months in advance. Geesh.
This too was Dads first election since becoming a Canadian himself.
Yes Mom, I do believe your feelings on this election would have been mixed. Judging by a chat I had with Dad Thanksgiving weekend on our way back to Dodge, I do believe we would have battled this niqab issue on opposing teams, again. Dad, of course, says he’d vote for Trump for US president if he could, so say no more, I know the score. Dad says he likes “that Trump doesn’t bother with all dat politically correct bull shite, he just says it like it is.” Nuff said.
No, really, did you find me in a trashcan? Always astounded me how on earth you raised such an open-minded daughter, with such diametrically different ideas to your own. Well, Grandma no doubt had something to do with that I ‘suppose, given her propensity for belief in UFO’s, and ghosts, and life after death, and women’s abortion rights back when that was still a dirty word to most.
Maybe that’s it you know Mom, both Lex and I were raised to stand up for what we believed, and that divergent opinions are signs of one’s intellect.
Since Trudeau’s election on Monday night, the media around the world has been cooing over our new PM’s good looks. And Mom, I doubt you’d kick him outa bed for eating crackers… just sayin’.
Canada now is sporting a young Prime Minister, with fresh ideas, passion, a young family, and a legacy of leadership. One article I read this morning pointed out how Justin’s return to 24 Sussex Drive would hold some bittersweet memories for him; with that place being the scene of his parents destruction.
Margaret Trudeau made quite the scandal in her day, with her escapes into mad capers with The Stones, a dazed and confused trip to Studio 54, and other early examples of her Bi-Polar diagnosis.
As you may recall Mom, our media just pounced all over that family, and Margaret was stalked wherever she went.
Now, here we are, so many years later, and that young man that Richard Nixon toasted, whilst he was 4 months old “To Justin, to one day be the Prime Minister of Canada“… or some such Nixon Prophesy.
I can just see the made for Television movie now… as now this nextGen Trudeau has the USA captivated.
Charisma and charm are leadership qualities, to be sure. Yet, our new PM has new ideas too, and we’ll see where his strengths lie in the days to come. Or, will see how many characteristics he inherited from dear old Dad, Pierre.
Margaret that Monday night had the look of both pride and worry on her aged face. Behind her smile lay the knowledge of what her son has before him. Can HE weather that storm we all know lies in his future? Can he stand by his principles, and bugger the naysayers? We will see. We will see. 
So, there’s that. I know Mom you would have had mixed feelings on all that has transpired politically in Canada over the last couple months. And, I miss the wonderful debates we would have shared, late into the night, over glasses of Red.
I miss you,
Love,
further reading: Justin Trudeau – details of his life, then and now ~ http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/justin-trudeau-family-1.3281191
by PaulaB 
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