Posted on 06/11/2004 9:37:43 PM PDT by ReaganandDubyaForever
Text of remarks by Michael Reagan at Friday's burial service for former President Reagan, as transcribed by eMediaMillWorks Inc.:
Good evening. I'm Mike Reagan. You knew my father as governor, as president. But I knew him as dad. I want to tell you a little bit about my dad. A little bit about Cameron and Ashley's grandfather because not a whole lot is ever spoken about that side of Ronald Reagan.
Ronald Reagan adopted me into his family 1945. I was a chosen one. I was the lucky one. And all of his years, he never mentioned that I was adopted either behind my back or in front of me. I was his son, Michael Edward Reagan.
When his families grew to be two families, he didn't walk away from the one to go to the other. But he became a father to both. To Patti and then Ronnie, but always to Maureen, my sister, and myself.
We looked forward to those Saturday mornings when he would pick us up, sitting on the curve on Beverly Glen as his car would turn the corner from Sunset Boulevard and we would get in and ride to his ranch and play games and he would always make sure it ended up a tie.
We would swim and we would ride horses or we'd just watch him cut firewood. We would be in awe of our father. As years went by and I became older and found a woman I would marry, Colleen, he sent me a letter about marriage and how important it was to be faithful to the woman you love with a P.S.: You'll never get in trouble if you say I love you at least once a day, and I'm sure he told Nancy every day "I love you" as I tell Colleen.
He also sent letters to his grandchildren. He wasn't able to be the grandfather that many of you are able to be because of the job that he had. And so he would write letters. He sent one letter to Cameron, said: "Cameron, some guy got $10,000 for my signature. Maybe this letter will help you pay for your college education. He signed it, Grandpa. P.S. Your grandpa is the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan. He just signed his sign."
Those are the kinds of things my father did.
At the early onset of Alzheimer's disease, my father and I would tell each other we loved each other and we would give each other a hug. As the years went by and he could no longer verbalize my name, he recognized me as the man who hugged him. So when I would walk into the house, he would be there in his chair opening up his arms for that hug, hello, and the hug goodbye. It was a blessing truly brought on by God.
We had wonderful blessings of that nature. Wonderful, wonderful blessings that my father gave to me each and every day of my life.
I was so proud to have the Reagan name and to be Ronald Reagan's son. What a great honor. He gave me a lot of gifts as a child. Gave me a horse. Gave me a car. Gave me a lot of things. But there's a gift he gave me that I think is wonderful for every father to give every son.
Last Saturday, when my father opened his eyes for the last time, and visualized Nancy and gave her such a wonderful, wonderful gift.
When he closed his eyes, that's when I realized the gift that he gave to me, the gift that he was going to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He had, back in 1988 on a flight from Washington, D.C. to Point Mugu, told me about his love of God, his love of Christ as his Savior. I didn't know then what it all meant. But I certainly, certainly know now.
I can't think of a better gift for a father to give a son. And I hope to honor my father by giving my son Cameron and my daughter Ashley that very same gift he gave to me.
Knowing where he is this very moment, this very day, that he is in Heaven, and I can only promise my father this. Dad, when I go, I will go to Heaven, too. And you and I and my sister, Maureen, that went before us, we will dance with the heavenly host of angels before the presence of God. We will do it melanoma and Alzheimer's free. Thank you for letting me share my father, Ronald Wilson Reagan.
© 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Have heard the story of the hugs several times. Last week Fox showed some taped clips of Michael talking about his father. Michael was in tears when he told that story.
He also talked about how the hugs started. It couldn't have been easy at times being the son of Reagan. Michael deeply resented the fact his father had not once told him he loved him. He was telling someone this when they asked "when was the last time you hugged your father and told him you loved him?"
That stopped Michael in his tracks as he realized he had never done what he resented his father for not doing. The next time he saw his father he went over and hugged him and said he loved him. President hugged him right back and said he loved Michael too. After that there greeting and parting hugs.
little jeremiah; With a disease like his I wonder if at times he knew what was happening around him but just could not communicate. You are right - The core of his being remained intact.
President Reagan is whole again and safe in the arms of his Lord.
She posed nude for Playboy around the age of 35 when Reagan was President and treated her parents like dirt. She hated them for decades, but supposedly she's over it now. Why am I cynical?
I had the SAME exact thought.
*Ping!
Ron's wife was clearly broken up.
"I agree. Ron and Patty spent their lives attacking their father before finally making peace with him as his mind started to fade. Michael was grateful for his father's love and had the capacity to love him back."
Yes, his biological children were very ungrateful.
I didn't know this before but Nancy Reagan was also adopted.
Sometimes people with various disabilities - whether from illness, accident, or birth - are experiencing consciousness within themselves, but just cannot communicate. This happens a lot more than people think.
For instance, I have an old friend whose daughter (now in her late 20s) was born with very serious birth defects, and can't talk, care for herself in any way, and for years everyone thought she couldn't understand anything that was going on around here. Some years ago it was discovered she understands at least 80% of what is said, she just can't communicate back.
Of course, this is a differenct situation, but I've also talked to an old friend who was in a coma for weeks and much of the time he could hear perfectly well when no one thought he was conscious.
The soul is always conscious, the body and it's anomalies often get in the way.
I think Nancy has been cried out for the past ten years.
MSNBC hired Ron to be a commentator for the upcoming elections.
I have no idea what was in his mind, other than rage at those who put their religion at the forefront of their lives.
I see many posters on here picked up on Ron Reagan Jr.'s obvious slam at President Bush. He has made numerous personal, hateful attacks on this President through his presidency. He even goes so far as to attack him at his father's funeral. I was so disgusted by that, but that really is the nature of that pitiful boy. I know Patti was against everything her father stood for and was quite hostile to her parents through many of their years and worked against them, writing books and so forth. I've heard Ron Reagan Jr. had political differences from his father also and wasn't exactly a great supporter of his father. Of course, now he attempts to use his father to make himself relevent. He is full of hate and he isn't in the position to talk about religion. And you are all right on Michael. He was adopted, but is his father's son. He gave the most beautiful eulogy. And like I've said before, it is ironic with the great love President and Mrs. Reagan had-the children with Jane Wyman, Maureen and Michael, are really the most loyal, beautiful children who have carried on their father's honor. Maureen is with her Dad now. On another note, isn't Jane Wyman still alive and does anyone know if she made it to any of the services? I also heard Charlton Heston was supposed to be at the service last night but didn't see him.
It couldn't have been easy at times being the son of Reagan. Michael deeply resented the fact his father had not once told him he loved him.
My father was of the same generation, and many of those men had trouble expressing themselves with hugs. They did it by providing a roof over our heads and food on the table.
My father was the same way. He never told me he loved me. I just knew he did and he knew I loved him.
In my opinion, these are two immature adult children who've repressed a lot personal and political feelings while their father was alive. There's something a way off kilter about the two of them. Sooner or later, their weird rebelliousness will out, mark my words (or mark this comment, lol.)
Even on a minor point, Patty's attention-seeking, compulsive, never-ending head/hair tossing plus pushing the scragginess back behind her ears (timed at about once every 5 seconds when she was not in formal pose) was obsessive and drove me nuts. She's 50ish, for crying out loud. I didn't see any of the other respectfully-groomed women principals having to do likewise.
bump
As for Michael being criticised by Chris Matthews about "wearing his religion on his sleeve" (posted by another FReeper), what would you expect from Matthews, or from just about anyone in the media? Christian beliefs are to be hidden, or at least, safely tucked away conveniently so that nobody gets offended, I'm sure you've heard. I thank God that Michael Reagan had the chutzpah to say exactly what he did say about Jesus Christ. He's IN the media. He KNEW before he said it that he'd get lambasted for saying anything. (You know, people get nervous and uncomfortable and just plain mad sometimes when they hear the Gospel in any form. For them, it's never the right time. Hmm. Why is that?) Besides, he answers to God - not Chris Matthews or any other pundit. He didn't put down anybody else's beliefs, by the way. He just spoke the truth as he knows it. What better way to send off his father, finally, than to uplift the One who gives Life? Somebody offended by that at a family funeral? Then don't attend funerals where there might be a reference made. Just don't go. Or, as Nancy Reagan said, "just say no."
I kept my composure until I heard Mike say that. Anyone who was not brought to tears by that is not human.
I don't know about you, but i was crying at the last sentence.
Two sites linked off of Michael's web site....
www.rememberronaldreagan.com
www.reaganranch.org
On one of them is a song you can download called "I Remember". (sure hope this doesn't overload their system)
Thank you for posting this.
What comfort in knowing that a loved one is absent in the body but present in the Lord.
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