Leave The Rest To God

"Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly, leave the rest to God." - Ronald Reagan

President Reagan’s boyhood home in Dixon, IL.

I recently spoke at a  Young American Foundation (YAF) conference at former President Ronald Reagan's hometown -- Dixon, IL. At the end of the conference, a YAF staff kindly took several of us speakers to visit President Reagan's boyhood home in Dixon. I learned a few things I didn't know before about President Reagan and his family. I have to admit that I was even more awe-struck now by our 40th president than before. 

A Very Modest Home

Many of you probably already knew that President Reagan's dad Jack was a traveling salesman. Jack struggled with alcoholism all through his life. His addiction was the main reason he couldn't keep a steady job, so the family struggled financially. At the best of times, the Reagan family was considered a lower-middle-class. But whenever Jack lost his job, the family fell into poverty, which happened very often.

The Reagan family had to move often due to the cons…