Great leaders do not come along all that often, but when they do, it often seems that they were providentially raised up to do great things in a time of crisis. As has been pointed out by many, the defeat of Soviet Communism was in good measure the result of the exemplary work of champions like Thatcher, Reagan, Walesa, and Pope John Paul II.
In that article I briefly mentioned the book by Christian writer Peggy Grande, The President Will See You Now (Hachette Books, 2017). She had served as Reagan’s executive assistant while he was in the White House, and her moving memoir carefully examines the man and his character.
It is a great book about a great man. Here I want to look at it a bit further, and share some more quotes from it. As to her view of Reagan – someone she had served for a decade – she said this:
To me, Ronald Reagan was the perfect combination of everything I loved in a person: his values were strong, and he was optimistic and practical. His nickname, the Great Communicator, was well deserved. The way he explained the global economy and national security was not simplistic, yet was easy to understand. When he spoke on TV, he always used we: we Americans, we the people, we as a nation. The personal connection I felt with him made me believe that I had to step up, too, because he was counting on me. We all had to do our best to restore America, and he would show us how. (pp.14-15)
Several stories are worth sharing to give you more of a view of the man and what he was like. World leaders and VIPs visited Reagan all the time while he was in office of course. But even after he had left the White House, he had a steady stream of important visitors. They liked him and they liked being around him. But it was not just politicians and world leaders who came. Late in 1991 Mother Teresa came for a visit. Says Grande:
We had many powerful and important people come to visit the president from all walks of life and a variety of faiths. The president always looked for commonality, not differences, finding that there was always more to agree on than to disagree on, regardless of the visitor. Such was the case when he invited Mother Teresa into the office. . . . Although the president wasn’t Catholic, he shared her faith in God and her desire to serve God and the people of this earth in whatever capacity he was called to do so….
She and President Reagan shook hands, and then she reached her left hand over to clasp his hand in both of hers, a sign of endearment, the kind of intimacy reserved for friends and a tribute to their shared bond of faith. The president’s hands were well manicured, yet toughened from working at the ranch. Hers were large and strong-looking for a woman with such a petite frame – rough and leathery, clear evidence of a life that was often personally demanding and physically damaging. Her gnarled, dry feet and crude sandals also belied all the places they had walked – on the dusty streets, in the trash piles where people lived, through the sewage that filled the streets of the poorest parts of Calcutta, and into the water where people and livestock bathed side by side because there was no alternative. The pristine white of her garment stood in stark contrast to the small portions of skin that were visible. Those were worn and tired and had been sacrificed fully so that others could feel seen and acknowledged and loved.
They smiled broadly at each other and spoke quietly, though words were not really necessary. Clearly there was respect and shared values between them. Each had authority and influence: one on dusty, forgotten streets who spoke primarily through her deeds, the other from an exalted place where the world listened to his every word. Yet for all their differences, together. There was a peacefulness, a gentleness, a warmth and kindness, and a shared heart to improve the lives of others, each in their own way. (pp. 59-61)
The President Will See You Now: My Stories and Lessons from Ronald Reagan's Final Yearsby Grande, Peggy (Author)
Another story about another female visitor (also from eastern Europe) is especially worth sharing:
Yet there is one office visitor who was not known on the world stage but stands out for me as being more memorable than any other. She was a frail, elderly Romanian woman who came into the office in late 1993 looking very much the part of a Russian babushka, sans the headscarf. She was dressed traditionally in the vintage wool suit with thick stockings, chunky-heeled shoes, and matching handbag. She was severely stooped, not only with age, but from carrying the burdens of a life marked by oppression. The pain and sadness etched in her face reflected the hardship she and her family had endured. Her suffering was one thing, but to watch the suffering of her family, feeling that her life circumstances and those of her family would never change, is something that had been heart-wrenching for her. Then along came Ronald Reagan, who started a domino effect of freedom globally, specifically in the Soviet Union. And then Eastern Bloc countries such as this woman’s home country of Romania. She personally saw and felt positive changes directly during the Reagan years. In her eyes, no one had played a greater role or been more influential than President Reagan in the newfound freedom she and her family now enjoyed.
When she entered his office and saw President Reagan, she instantly dropped to her knees and bowed at his feet. She started sobbing loudly and uncontrollably, kissing the president’s feet – literally kissing them – With tears falling on his shoes. He was overwhelmed by this expression of emotion, as was I, just observing it.
After a moment, he reached down to thank her for her humbling gesture of gratitude and helped her to her feet. As she stood before him, looking intently into his eyes, she took a moment to pull herself together. She then, very slowly and in broken English, thanked him for freeing her, freeing her family, and freeing her people from oppression. As I watched her standing there, very small in stature but bold in expression, I thought about the millions of people this one woman represented who shared her experience and shared her emotion and most certainly would have shared in her touching gesture if given the opportunity.
In all these meetings there was a common thread. One life, the president’s, had made an overwhelming, positive impact and had changed the course of each of their lives forever. Likewise, for each one of us, while our decisions may not topple communism or free entire groups of people, we can – and do – have a lasting impact on others through our words, our actions, and our kindness. Some we may be fortunate enough to know about. Others will serve as our legacy regardless. (pp. 61-62)
She says this about the president’s Christian faith:
Ronald Reagan talked about his faith openly and unashamedly, even as president. In fact, it was President Reagan who designated the first Thursday in May as the National Day of Prayer and also declared 1983 to be the Year of the Bible. . . . His faith provided order, meaning, and stability to everything he did.
Over the years, he stayed connected to others in the community of faith, including friends like Billy Graham, who liked to drop by the office to visit with the president now and then. Seeing these two men together seated in the president’s office was in during an inspiring. Both were advanced in years yet young at heart. They had seen so much of life with undying faith in God’s plan and in His providence for their lives. After Reverend Graham’s visits, the president always seemed peaceful, content, and full of the blessing that fellowship with another Christian brings. These visits, along with his church attendance, up until then had sustained the president’s spiritual needs. I wasn’t sure what to do, but I knew there had to be a way to continue to support him in this regard and nurture and encourage his faith in God to the very end. (pp. 198-199)
Her moving words about her last time seeing the great man are also worth featuring here:
When I visited the president around his ninety-third birthday in February 2004, I assumed this would be the last time, and it was. With each visit over the past few years, he was less engaged, less himself, and less present….
I went to his bedside that day, held his hand, and just sat with him. I had few words to offer up. There was nothing left to be said. I had no unfinished business with this beloved man…
Unable to delay the inevitable any longer, I forced myself to stand up. I released his hand and instinctively leaned over and gently kissed his forehead, and then his warm soft cheek. He didn’t respond. I patted his hand and kissed my hand, placing one last kiss on his hand. I then said goodbye in the only way I could think of.
“Thank you, Mr. President. For everything.”…
I walked out the front door and the Secret Service agent who is standing post on the porch knew by my look that I had said my goodbye. Forever. I hugged him tightly, grateful for his friendship over the years, and for his comfort now.
“Keep looking out for my favourite guy,” I said.
“I will,” he replied. “He’s my favourite, too.”
I got in my car, turned it around, and drove down the driveway, out the gates of the residence, and down the hill. I pulled over at the park where the president had walked, where I had been so many times with my kids, and I finally let go. Of him. Of my tears. Of my past. And of my unknown future, which I would soon have to face without him. (pp. 232-235)
And this final quote:
The State Funeral Service was held on June 11, 2004, at the National Cathedral in Washington., DC, and included four thousand mourners from 165 countries worldwide. There were three dozen world leaders or former heads of state in attendance as well, including the president’s longtime dear friend and ally Margaret Thatcher. Though she managed to attend the National Cathedral service, she had feared several months prior that her health may have precluded her from attending or participating in his funeral if he passed away before she did. Always determined the speaker mine, she had specific things she wanted to ensure were said at his service, even if she couldn’t be there in person, so she selected ahead of time the outfit she would ultimately wear to the service and taped a video tribute ahead of time. Her eulogy to her dear friend Ron ended with the beautiful words “We here still move in twilight, but we have one beacon to guide us that Ronald Reagan never had. We have his example. Let us give thanks today for a life that achieved so much for all of God’s children.” (p. 244)
Thanks Bill. I didn’t know that Reagan and a few others were responsible for the collapse of the Berlin Wall and Soviet communism. Let’s hope that in these days ahead others like Trump will be able to collapse the communist rule in China and other totalitarian regimes like in Iran, Syria and some African countries where Christians are being persecuted and martyred.
Thanks Bill. I didn’t know that Reagan and a few others were responsible for the collapse of the Berlin Wall and Soviet communism. Let’s hope that in these days ahead others like Trump will be able to collapse the communist rule in China and other totalitarian regimes like in Iran, Syria and some African countries where Christians are being persecuted and martyred.