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Dave the Wonder Boy said:
Wonderfully said, Cowgirl Jack.

My grandmother died very recently as well, on May 20th, at the age of 87. It has been a great loss, she is as close to me as my own parents.
Over the last few years, she's had several devastating bouts of pneumonia. During one severe strike of pneumonia four years ago, we first thought she was going to die. One of her lungs collapsed, and she was never able to walk again after that, and has been on oxygen ever since.
I was grief-stricken at the thought of her imminent death, and yet she survived several other periods of severe illness. It gave us all time to mentally prepare for her death. And while I would prefer if she were still here, there is some consolation in that she is no longer suffering.

I thought of her today when I heard of Reagan's death. Reagan was born in 1911, my grandmother was born in 1917.
Like you said, C.J., at least Reagan's suffering has ended.




I'll never forget what it was like in this country from the moment that Reagan was elected.
Even from the moment his candidacy was declared, for me he was so obviously the only choice for President. Never have I felt better about the direction of our country than in November 1980 and the 8 years after that Reagan was President.
Prior to that, from 1973 to 1980, this country had been stripped of its pride by the Watergate conspiracy and Nixon's resignation, loss of the Vietnam war, the hostage crisis in Iran, two humiliating energy crises in 1973 and 1979, double-digit inflation, and a sagging economy, where many said the best days of the United States were behind us, and all that lay ahead was further decline. The direction of the country was confused, rudderless, and ominously seemed headed for further decline.

Reagan instantly restored confidence in the potential of our country again, strengthened our military, reined in inflation, re-built our economy.
And then, incredibly, signed nuclear weapons reduction agreements with Gorbachev, and ultimately, brought down the Berlin Wall.

Reagan is, hands down, the greatest President of my adult life. I remain amazed at what Reagan achieved in just a few short years, an achievement no President since has been able to regain.
Would that it could have lasted forever.

Thank you, Mr. Reagan, for showing us what is still possible for America. And for the pride and optimism you instilled, that still endures.



I'm sorry to hear about your grandmother Dave.

As I said in my last post, it was oddly appropriate that Back to the Future was on when alll the news stations were talking about him, his life, his presidency, his death, etc. At first I thought all the media coverage of it was a bit much (I was just looking for something relaxing that didn't require much thought, been a long week), then as I was making dinner, listening to I thought of something I don't think I'd ever thought about before, and that is Regan was the first president since Kenedy to die.

It's a rented tux ok? I'm not going comando in another man's fatigues.