Posted on 06/09/2004 11:18:26 AM PDT by Wolfstar
For those who were unable to watch the coverage from Point Mugu Naval Air Station this morning as President Reagan and his family left California for Washington, former First Lady Nancy Reagan did something incredibly gracious and moving. She is, after all, an 82-year-old going through an extraordinarily difficult time. Everyone would have understood if she took one of the easier methods of boarding the plane.
Yet she chose to walk up that long flight of stairs. Then, when she got to the top, she turned and waved to the crowd. The crowd spontaneously broke out in very warm applause. (That's a major general escorting Mrs. Reagan. Look at the awe on his face.)
The purpose of this thread is to give all FReepers — those of us who are Ronald Reagan's foot soldiers for life — our warmest expressions of love, support and gratitude. I am going to the RWR library on Sunday and will personally hand-deliver a printout of this thread to them. All tributes received by the library are being saved for later presentation to Mrs. Reagan.
Mrs. Reagan.....you were the diamond among the golden nuggets of your great husband's Presidency. Your partnership will be a model for eternity, and our country will live on never forgetting what YOU gave us. God Bless You.
Mrs. Reagan, may you find comfort in knowing that the arms that hold President Regan now, are the same arms that are wrapped around your heart today. God bless you and your family.
Mrs. Reagan, I want you to know how DEARLY our beloved Ronny will be missed! God bless you and your family members. May he continue to comfort and give you great peace.
While watching the news coverage on Saturday, my wife said to me, speaking of President and Mrs. Reagan, "I remember the way they looked at each other. Their eyes showed the love they had for each other."
Yesterday, listening to the news, my 12-year-old son asked about President Reagan, "Is he the one that lied?"
"No," his mother answered, "that was President Clinton. Ronald Reagan told the truth."
Webster's needs to change the dictionary.
Only defination of "lady" should be a picture of Nancy Reagan.
Very cool, Mud.
-An Admirer
Our Blessed Father,
Today you have seen fit to call home to you our former and very well-loved President, Ronald Reagan.
Father, this man appeared to many of us to be devoted to doing your Will and pursuing your Vision. He had a warmth and humor which was as infectious as it was comforting after a period of stress and upheaval. One of the first things accomplished by his strength was the release of the Iranian hostages. Father, we are still grateful for your protecting arm upon those people during that horrible time.
We saw this man wounded by a would-be assassin's bullet. You answered our prayers to protect and preserve his life. Father, thank you for not calling him home at that time, for we still needed him.
You guided him during those years of confrontation with the Soviet Union. Your Spirit moved upon him, and he spoke the simple yet stark words, "TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!" You gave him the keys and the strategies to cause this to happen. The Wall came down.
Father, there are so many memories of this one who was our Commander In Chief. Many of us growing up in the 50's and 60's have fond memories of his television program "Death Valley Days." We still laugh and appreciate some of the madcap comedies he played in. We STILL refer to him as the "Gipper" from his portrayal of that football legend. We gasped in amazement in those pre-Rush Limbaugh days, at hearing his voice of reason coming from our radios. We were amazed to see this simple actor climb the political ladder with such success, from President of the Screen Actors Guild, to Governor of California, to President.
We have grieved with him and his family upon learning that he was struck down with Alzheimers. Father, we are grateful that the suffering is ended. He and his family have extended a blessed hand of assistance to the many thousands of us dealing with that disease by being open and providing such helpful role models. Their openness has been the impetus for much of the recent research and breakthroughs which are taking place now. We grieve now for the final loss of his presence among us. We ask that you will enfold and comfort his family and those closest to him.
Comfort, Father, this entire nation who feels this loss keenly. We ask also that as we meditate upon and celebrate his life, that we may be granted as a people a strong reminder of the lessons he had to teach.
Let us remember that when we see evil, not only is it ok, but it is actually required that we name it for what it is. Help us to remember that real courage is taking ahold of your divine Vision and not allowing any distractions tear us from our course. Help us to remember that when we start something, we must finish it.
If it is at all in accordance to thy Will and and Law, and if you call him to do so, please let him work with our current leaders in some way by somehow sharing his wisdom with them.
Father, we commend into your keeping, with great gratitude our own President Ronald Reagan. We are grateful that your moving finger wrote and he was the man for his time.
amen
Thank you for being always the lady, which earlier generations of Americans--in days of far higher moral standards--would have expected of their First Lady. Your devotion to the President; your exemplary example of personal conduct and deportment, fittingly complemented the Administration of the one Twentieth Century American President, who stood foursquare for the traditional values of the American people.
Even as your husband sought to revitalize the concept of an America based not upon dependence on Government, but on individual responsibility, initiative and accountability, your example of a devoted and loving wife, tended to revitalize traditional family values--the sustaining thread to the ethos of any people. Together, you offered a sharp contrast to the false values of those who seek to make the individual dependent upon the collective; to those who seek to turn men and women into competing special interests; to those who seek to enlarge Government, rather than contain it; to those who seek new and grasping roles for politicians and public office holders; in short, to all those who threaten both the character of our institutions and the decency of our people.
May our departed President, and you as his devoted mate, always find God's Blessing. For an all too brief eight years, you offered us more than we had seen for a long, long time before; more than we have seen since. God willing, your memory will someday soon inspire others to seek to attain the same heights of public service and dedication.
Thank you.
William Flax
Thank you for that beautiful prayer, Texokie.
Dear Mrs. Reagan
Thank you so much for sharing your husband with the rest of America. May God grant you peace in knowing how many other share your love and your grief.
God Bless the Reagan family & God Bless the United States of America
ST
North Haven, Connecticut
Wonderful, New Perspective.
God Bless and keep you in the days ahead.Amen !
The world could use more folks like Nancy Reagan .....
Thanks for that pic -- had the same feeling when I saw her turn to wave -- the Gipper was standing right there beside her!
Mud --
That is fantastic! You are the best!
PKM
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