09/02/2026
Ronald Reagan, the first U.S. president to be divorced, had a marriage to actress Jane Wyman that ended at her initiative. Wyman, known for her Hollywood persona, had a history of quick marriages and even quicker divorces.
But Reagan found true love with Nancy. Their 52-year marriage was a model of harmony and commitment. In 1971, while Governor of California, Reagan couldn’t attend his son Michael’s wedding, so he wrote him a heartfelt letter:
“Dear Mike,
You’ve probably heard plenty of jokes from the ‘unhappily married’ and the cynics. But let me offer another perspective: you’re entering the most important relationship in life. It will be what you make it.
Some men think they prove their masculinity by living out the locker-room stories thinking ‘what a wife doesn’t know won’t hurt her.’ The truth is, a wife always knows. And when she does, something magical fades.
Far too many men who complain about marriage are actually more responsible for the destruction of their relationships than their wives. You get back what you put in. If you give only half, you’ll get half back.
There will be times when you look at another woman, remembering the old days. But let me tell you this: proving your masculinity by staying with one woman for life takes strength. Anyone can cheat. But it takes real strength to remain charming and loved by the woman who has seen you at your worst.
If you truly love her, you’ll never make her doubt you. You’ll never want another woman to give your wife that ‘secret smile’ the one that says she was once ‘the other one.’
Mike, you know what an unhappy home can do. Now you have the chance to do things the right way.
There’s no greater joy than knowing someone is waiting for you at home.
With love,
Dad
P.S. Say ‘I love you’ every day.”
Beautiful words from a loving father, and from a man who understood the value of love, family, and friendship. Reagan made sure his wife always waited for the sound of his footsteps at the door. He didn’t just talk about commitment he lived it.
Nancy, a wise and devoted woman, fully embraced her role as First Lady not just of America, but of her husband. And Reagan, known for his tough political persona, never forgot that his most important role was as a devoted husband and father.
Like many men, he knew: you reap what you sow.
