By Olubunmi Adebayo
*Ronald Reagan was the first U.S. president who had been divorced.*
*His first marriage, to actress Jane Wyman, ended because she chose to walk away : she wasn’t the easiest person to be married to — she filed for divorce from her second husband just a month after marrying him, and her third marriage didn’t last long either.*
*But Reagan’s second marriage, to Nancy, was a different story. They were together for 52 years, and their relationship was widely seen as a model of love and partnership.*
*In 1971, when Reagan was Governor of California, his eldest son, Michael Reagan was getting married, and Reagan decided to pen a few words of advice to him.*
*What he wrote wasn’t just a note of congratulations — it was honest advice from a father who had lived, learned, and deeply valued his own marriage.*
*You may want to read the full letter and explore how Reagan’s personal journey shaped his perspective on love and family :*
*Dear Mike,*
*You’ve probably heard all the jokes from people who are bitter or cynical about marriage. But here’s the truth: you’re about to start the most important relationship in your life. And it will become whatever you choose to make it.*
*Some men try to act tough by living like the guys in locker room stories — thinking that what their wife doesn’t know won’t hurt her. But believe me, even without lipstick on your collar or shady excuses about where you were at 3 a.m., a wife always knows. And when that trust starts to break, the magic in the relationship starts to fade.*
*More often than people realize, the ones who say marriage doesn’t work are the same ones who put the least into it. It’s like physics — you get out exactly what you put in. If you only give half, you’ll only get half back.*
*Sure, there’ll be moments when you’re tempted – to notice another woman or miss your old single life. But I’ll tell you something: real strength, real masculinity, is sticking with one woman your whole life. Anyone can cheat — that’s easy. But to stay interesting and loving to the same woman, through all the normal, messy, everyday stuff — that takes real character.*
*If you love her, really love her, you’ll never embarrass her by flirting with others or making her question where you’ve been. And you’ll never put her in a position where another woman could give her a knowing smile — like she knows a secret your wife doesn’t. Even for one second.*
*You, more than most, understand what it’s like to grow up in an unhappy home. Now, you have the chance to build something better.*
*There’s no greater feeling than coming home after a long day and knowing someone’s waiting just to hear the sound of your footsteps.*
*With love,*
*Dad*
*Note Mike : Say “I love you” at least once a day. It really does help.*
*You will agree with me that those words came from more than just a father — they came from someone who knew what marriage meant and how important it is to nurture love and loyalty every day.*
*Reagan made sure Nancy never had to doubt she mattered. He made sure she always waited for him with love. As people say, you reap what you sow.*
*And Nancy — graceful, strong, and loyal — chose him just as much as he chose her. She wasn’t just the First Lady of the United States. She was, first and always, the First Lady of his heart.*
*And Ronald Reagan — the strong, determined leader known to the world — never forgot who he was at home : a husband, a father, and a man who truly loved his family.*
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*COPIED.*
