President Reagan

I admit it. I wasn’t thrilled when Ronald Reagan became president for his first term. I loved Jimmy Carter, and I strongly disliked Reagan for, in my view, stealing the election from him. I remember sitting in the dance studio with my friends complaining about the new president elect. “And he was only a B actor at that!!” we lamented.

True to my Democratic party roots I also voted against him for his second term, not really because of anything he did or didn’t do, but because I was raised in a strong Democratic family and that’s just what we did – we voted for Democrats.

As I became a young adult, I grew to like the man. I liked how he handled people, I enjoyed his sense of humor and his view of Reaganomics was starting to make sense to me. I remember feeling fearful when the assassination attempt was made on his life. I remember chuckling as I read the quips he was making in the hospital while his doctors were trying to stabilize his condition. He’s reported to have said, “I hope you’re a Republican” to the chief surgeon who replied, “Today, Mr. President, we’re all Republicans.”

I liked that.

The day the Challenger blew up I was in middle management for an HMO in Ohio. The event stunned me. Shuttle missions had become so routine I had quit following them on the news. This disaster was a reality check for the nation I think. As I drove home that evening I listened to the President’s speech and sobbed. His voice, tinged with genuine sadness, touched me deeply and I felt like if he were there with me he probably wouldn’t have minded if I just put my head on his chest and wept with him and the rest of the nation.

“The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and ‘slipped the surly bonds of earth’ to ‘touch the face of God.”

I loved President Reagan for saying that.

So this morning I’ve been sitting on the couch watching the coverage and sobbing. I told John B, I feel as if my grandpa has died in a way. I’m remembering about the jelly beans, and about Mr. Gorbachev, and watching pictures of a president and a much younger pope as they talked and really seemed to enjoy each other’s company, and I’m really feeling a personal loss as well as a loss for the whole country.

I also get the sense that God, in His perfect timing, has done it again. It’s no coincidence I think that we remember the 60th anniversary of D-day at the same time we lose the Gipper.

Eternal rest grant to him oh Lord, and May pepetual light shine upon him.

Amen.

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