There are but a handful of people who I consider to be heroes of mine, role models from whom I draw occasional inspiration, men and women of the highest caliber and worthy of admiration. Ronald Reagan was one of them. I was born about 9 months into the start of his second term, so my mental recollection of his presidency is vague at best. My studies of him since, though, have led me to hold him in the highest regard for years. His death isn't surprising, really, but it is shocking, in the way in which even the most expected deaths can shock us. It's sad, but also joyous. I'm so proud of the honorable celebration of life granted him over the last few days. He was a leader, a motivator, an innovator, and a true patriot. He was ever confident, ever optimistic, and exceedingly kind by nearly all accounts. He was a man of devoted and bold Christian faith, and a man boasting all the wisdom one would expect from someone his age and more. He was a man who saved America and a man who indelibly changed the world for the better. He will surely be remembered among the greatest of American presidents in the vaulted aisles of history, and in the mind of many, the greatest (myself included).
Ronald Reagan was the embodiment of the American dream, and in return, he gave to the people the America they dreamed of. I hope and trust that both the present and the future will laud him with the esteem he deserves. My prayers continue to go out to Nancy, Michael, Ron, Patti, and the rest of his family and close friends, as well as his supporters, the present American administration and global leadership, and the American and global citizenry as they mourn the loss of their great leader. May God bless Ronald Reagan in Heaven as He did on Earth.
-Aaron
