Each of President Reagan's children have commented on his zone of privacy. He shared himself unselfishly w/so many, yet reserved a small part for selfhood too. Nancy probably came as close as anyone to sharing that zone.
I think he and Nancy were so close,
that death will not part them.
Without meaning the slightest bit of disrespect to Patti and Ron Prescott (he's not Ron Jr.), I sometimes wonder why it's so surprising to so many that RWR had a "zone of privacy." Don't we all?
We each live isolated within our own skin and mind. Even with loved ones around us, we really make our journey through life alone. The tools we have to communicate with each other can never fully convey colors we, as indivudals, see; or experiences as we see and feel them; or vocal inflections exactly as we hear them.
The breadth and scope of our individual lives are unique only to ourselves, from the moment we're conceived to the moment we pass on.
Of course I know that most children go through a period when they feel estranged from their parents. It's part of the natural process of preparing to "leave the nest" and make one's own way in the world. And of course I know that this period is more difficult for some than others. But I still wonder what this yearning is to strip away every last shred of privacy a person has.