A Father's Last Gift - By Douglas W. Phillips
During his eight years in the office of president, Ronald Wilson Reagan
left an indelible mark on this nation and the world. However, the
greatest message of Ronald Reagan's life came not through his letters or
public speeches, but through the testimony of a devoted son he helped to
lead to Jesus Christ. As the California sun waned magnificently in the
backdrop of the Reagan Library before the television cameras of America
and the few select guests present for the closing funeral homage to our
fortieth president, a lone figure rose to the podium to speak. It was
the president's son, Michael. His intensely personal words were stunning
for their simplicity, their eloquence, and their boldness. Here is what
he
said:
"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."
Have a nice day
"Only when we have knelt before God, can we stand before men."
The greatest legacy that we as parents can give to our children is one
that will last till eternity-- faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour
of our lives. No amount of money or power or material gifts or even our
love for them can replace it.
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