Mediaplanet What inspired your newest book, The Time of Your Life: Choosing a Vibrant, Joyful Future?

Margaret Trudeau Overall, it was the feeling that even I was starting to disappear. At 65 three things happened that served as a huge wake-up call: my darling mom passed away at age 93, one of my closest girlfriends was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and I brutalized my shoulder in a skiing accident. I was left with a feeling I had earned a new weight on my shoulders — that now I was one of the “elders.” I wrote this book to reach out to the youthful enthusiasm we used to have for life to help find new purpose and ways to be a whole, happy person, even though we are getting older.

MP You consider yourself a “perpetual teenager” — what are some of the characteristics from your youth that still define you?

MT Everybody laughs because I don’t seem to get older — only younger and more free. When I was a teenager I was a hippie and I learned how to live in-the-now and love each day. Yes, at 67 I have old-age complaints about my body and I look in the mirror and jump every morning, but I have all the energies that I’ve ever had. I dance through my housework, I do yoga positions as I empty my dishwasher, I cook myself good food, and I am connected to the best of who I am now.

Everybody laughs because I don’t seem to get older — only younger and more free. When I was a teenager I was a hippie and I learned how to live in-the-now and love each day.

MP Justin definitely has his work cut out for him ahead, but what about you and the next 20 years?

MT I work as a mental health advocate. So I speak at corporations down to small town halls trying to get people to understand — they must put aside their fear of getting a diagnosis of a mental disorder.In this day and age, “in 2015,” as Justin says, there is help.  I also continue my work internationally with WaterAid, working to make sure that we all have access to clean water and sanitation.

Even on the day of Justin’s swearing in, I was also set to speak on aging at Lansdowne Park at 1:00 p.m. At 12:20  p.m. I was rushing around giving hugs to all my favourite people when Justin teased me and said, “Mom you have to go, it’s your work, you’ve got to pay your bills!” So I am going to keep doing that and hope to do more — the more I can help, the happier I will be.

On the night of the election, a friend even asked me, “What do we call you now—Prime Mother?” I replied, “Well, PM sounds good to me!” Nope, I’m Grandma and Mommy, and that’s me.