Ronald Reagan was the epitome of an optimist, not a pessimist. He made me feel proud to be an American and caused me to believe that our best days were ahead. Of all the presidents I remember, he elevated women the most, especially his own wife whom he adored and deeply respected. He walked alongside, not before, Margaret Thatcher as they formed a deep bond of friendship and world leadership. He appointed women to high positions, especially Shirley Temple Black who served as an ambassador during Reagan's presidency.
Ronald Reagan was a strong and confident leader who could rise up and do what needed to be done to protect America, making her the best she could be, and yet, he could be compassionate and humble at the same time. He could be dignified at the state dinners or wherever he represented the USA, but he could also be simple and childlike when he ate from his bowl of jelly beans and winked at his cabinet members as he smiled and enjoyed his favorite sweet treat.
It is a shame that history is being rewritten, that lies are being told to the younger generation so that they will never know what we older folks realize more and more each day. Ronald Reagan was a true American who loved our country and worked to make it better, not to destroy it. I only wish we could have another one in the White House just like him. I wish that this generation could live under his presidency for just one year. Then, they would tear out the pages of history books that seek to discredit who was probably one of the greatest presidents of all time.
