Since the announcement of his death on February 29, Brian Mulroney has received a veritable shower of tributes. Collaborators as well as simple voters, friends as well as adversaries, people from here and from all over the world.
But the most beautiful tribute was paid to him by his family. During this entire week, Mila Mulroney and the couple’s four children admirably accompanied the former Prime Minister to his final resting place. They lived up to the man. They reflected the unifying and warm character.
Their greatness of soul, their dignity, their kindness will have marked the entire population of Canada. In doing so, they followed through on his personal commitment to the public. Sense of duty, sense of state, they embodied values that are lacking in recent years.
Something to be proud of
From where he looks at us today, Brian Mulroney must have smiled when he saw the very positive poll on his political record. It seems that the population supports, with the benefit of the years, the once contested policies that he left behind.
- Listen to the coverage of Brian Mulroney’s funeral by Raymond Filion, parliamentary correspondent for TVA, on Mario Dumont’s microphone via QUB :
But he must have been even more proud seeing his family united, acting with such a high level of class, for an entire week.
Have you imagined for a moment how demanding this week must be? Most people leave exhausted after a day or two at the funeral home receiving condolences from loved ones. Mila Mulroney and her four children will have experienced a full week of ceremonies.
Photo Agence QMI, JOEL LEMAY
Four days of welcoming expressions of sympathy, standing on hard floors. Four days of shaking hands, exchanging polite words. Mila is a very great lady. (Mr. Mulroney always maintained that he could not have been prime minister without her.) She proved it again.
Individually, I have no doubt that the people are friendly, that they had very good words to say. But for hours and hours, welcoming people with a smile who are for the vast majority strangers, shows great respect towards the population.
Photo Agence QMI, JOEL LEMAY
Exhausting
We can guess that physical fatigue is compounded by psychological fatigue and a lot of emotions. The way they behaved this week is impressive. All week, they were beautiful to see. Inspiring.
Brian and Mila were family people. In his political days, it is said that Dad Brian ordered that he be disturbed in any meeting for a call from his children.
I’ve heard them talk before about their efforts to bring the clan together, when each of their four children had their own families and careers. But they wanted to create these precious moments of family gathering.
Succeeding in life means having a great career. Succeeding in life means having a beautiful family. But achieving both is probably what we call successful life.
Goodbye, Mr. Mulroney.