Yano What I Mean?: Goodbye to the Gipper

Goodbye to the Gipper

Today, as you probably know, former president of the United States, Ronald Reagan passed away.

It hit me harder than I thought it would.

He was the first president that I really remember. My memories of Jimmy Carter are pretty vague. But I remember Reagan. I think as a child, I remember his wife more, because of her campaign against drugs and guest role on Diff'rent Strokes. But I do remember Reagan, and I remember that he was a good man, and that he had a mischievous twinkle in his eye. His actions in the White House caused a lot of great changes, in the US as well as the world beyond, challenging the world of Communism. Truly, he was of our greatest presidents. Not only because of his actions in the white house, but also for the respect that he garnered from all the people in Washington.

Later on, I learned more about Ronald Reagan as a man, rather than the president. I read Nancy Reagan's compilation of love stories that Ronald wrote to her, and you could really see what a loving, humorous caring man he was. The last chapter of the book was so sad, talking about the onset of his Alzheimer's and how he didn't even recognize Nancy. It just broke my heart. And she was with him until the end, as devoted to him as ever. After reading that book, I loved him more. If you ever get a chance to pick up the book, check out it out. It's full of letters, doodles, stories by Nancy, and it shows a man that was so in love with his wife. You would never have guessed that he was such a romantic. Here's some excerpts:

Dear St. Valentine,
I'm writing to you about a beautiful young lady who has been in this household for 25 years now - come March 4.

I have a request to make of you but before doing so feel you should know more about her. For one thing she has 2 hearts - her own and mine. I'm not complaining. I gave her mine willingly, and like it right where it is. Her name is Nancy but for some time now I've called her Mommie and don't believe I could change.

My request of you is - could you on this day whisper in her ear that someone loves her very much and more and more each day? Also tell her, this "Someone" would run down like a dollar clock without her so she must always stay where she is.

Then tell her if she wants to know who that "Someone" is to just turn her head to the left. I'll be across the room waiting to see if you told her. If you'll do this for me, I'll be very happy knowing that she knows I love her with all my heart.

Thank you,
"Someone"

Isn't that sweet? Here's another one...

Dear Mrs. Reagan
And you are Mrs. Reagan because Mr. Reagan loves you with all his heart. Every time Mr. Reagan sees the evening star or blows out the birthday candles or gets the big end of the wishbone he thinks the same wish--a prayer really--that so much happiness will go on and somehow be deserved by him.

It is true sometimes that Mr. Reagan loses his temper and slams a door but that's because he can't cry or stamp his foot--(he isn't really the type.) But mad or glad Mr. Reagan is head over heels in love with Mrs. Reagan and can't even imagine a world without her--

He loves her
Mr. Reagan

*sigh* What a guy.

So I'm watching all these specials that they have on TV, and it's surprising that they could get all these things together - he just died this morning. But I'm seeing so many things that Reagan did that I never noticed then I was a kid. He was an amazing man. There's just something in his eyes that causes you to trust him, that touches you and makes you want to believe what he's saying.

Hopefully, we'll have a president like that again someday. Though the way things look, we're not close to that for the next presidency. Reagan was definitely one of a kind.

So in closing, here's a quote that I found that Reagan said in '92:

"Whatever history might say about me when I'm gone, I hope it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears; to your confidence rather than your doubts. My dream is that you will travel the road ahead with liberty's lamp guiding your steps and opportunity's arm steadying your way."

Posted by Yano at June 5, 2004 11:43 PM

Comments

Nice tribute. I am planning to write my own too... I growing up with Reagan for 8 years it seemed so strange to ever have anyone else as president when he finally left office.

The presidency has never been the same since. Politics is so igly now. Not that it wasn't then, but it seems infinitely worse today.

Posted by: Noelle on June 6, 2004 06:47 AM

Ronald Reagan's first president I was old enough to vote for. I remember staying up all night in the TV room of one of the frat houses, watching the election returns, then watching the news reports of his attempted assassination in the TV room of the dorm.

Posted by: Trisha on June 6, 2004 07:20 AM

Beautiful Christine. Thank you. By coincidence I read Peggy Noonan's biography of Pres. Reagan, "When Character Was King" coming back on the plane last week. I also read his collected letters and speechs from his California period a few years back and was moved. I don't think I ever so underestimated a person as Ronald Reagan. He was a man of solid character, unshakable and with a deep faith in God and this country. I'll forever measure president's against the standard I've come to know in recent years.

Susan

Posted by: SusanG on June 6, 2004 04:23 PM

Peggy Noonan is such a great writer. She did such a great job as presidential speechwriter. I'd like to read that book too.

A few years ago a story came out in the Washington Post. It turned out that while he was president, Reagan became pen pals with a young boy from inner city Washington. They regularly exchanged letters over the years, and had also met. I believe Reagan even visited at the boy's home in southeast DC. It was quite a tale. Just one of those little things that illustrate that saying that character is shown by what you do when no one is looking.

Posted by: Noelle on June 6, 2004 05:09 PM

wow. yeah, reagan was in office when i was born. i didn't remember much about him, but i liked him anyway. it's just sad that everyone has to find out he did so many things after he dies...

Posted by: marie on June 6, 2004 07:59 PM

Peggy Noonan was on Fox News this weekend telling this story about Reagan - the very first speech she wrote for him was 12 pages and terrible and he corrected it (basically wrote his own speech) but he wrote a note to her: "Peggy - welcome to the staff. Your speech was wonderful but it was just too long. " Wouldn't you love to work for a boss like that?? Instead of someone who unnecessarily yells at everything.

I was young when he was in office and I didn't fully comprehend everything he did but watching all these tributes on TV just makes it seem like a different time period. Society has definitely changed since then, for the worse.

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June 05, 2004