"A woman is like a tea bag--you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water." ~ Nancy Reagan, (quoting Eleanor Roosevelt)
A woman of great strength, former First Lady Nancy Reagan (1923-2016) was born Anne Francis Robbins on this day in New York City. Her "Just Say No" hard-line against drugs made history, as did her unending support of her beloved husband.
"My life really began when I married my husband," she said.
In 1949, as actress Nancy Davis, she met then married Ronald Reagan. "I must say acting was good training for the political life which lay ahead for us," Mrs. Reagan observed.
"Everywhere we go, Nancy makes the world a little better," President Ronald Reagan admitted at the 1984 Republican National Convention. Their marriage was called "a genuine love affair" by George H.W. Bush.
"President Reagan achieved greatness in his life. Some might even argue he transcended it. He could not have accomplished this without Nancy," observed Senator Ted Stevens
As her husband's strongest supporter and most influential advisor, the former First Lady campaigned against youth drug and alcohol abuse while in the White House. "There is no moral middle ground. Indifference is not an option... For the sake of our children, I implore each of you to be unyielding and inflexible in your opposition to drugs," she said.
Mrs. Reagan continued to show the world courage and dignity. She quietly cared for her husband and protected him from prying eyes during his arduous 10-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease and became a world icon for her quiet dignity and strength following his death.
"Don’t ever lose hope," she encouraged. "Even when life seems bleak and hopeless, know that you are not alone."
More FIRST LADY Quotations
A woman's strength is remarkable.