No matter how big you get, you still need love. No matter how strong you get, you still need love. No matter how powerful or arrogant you get, you still need love. No matter how much you believe you don’t need love, you still need love.
In the glory days, when the world respects you, your friends revere you, and everyone wants a picture of you or the touch of your hand, love may seem insignificant. But let that respect fall away. Let your friends disappear one by one. Let your fans turn against you and then you can truly feel your deep human need for unconditional love.
Presidents, and other country leaders, can go from loved to hated over a single scandal or unpopular decision. A president who has an amazing approval rating can still lose re-election if he raises taxes or if his opposing party can find the right dirt on him.
This kind of power I cannot fathom nor have I ever craved. The responsibility, the angry people, the barrage of questions from reporters – it is never-ending! If I were in such a position, I would need my spouse’s kind affection and caring arms around me constantly!
Speaking of presidents and spouses, below are a few presidential couples whose relationships stand out to me in a special way. These couples were partners all the way and history remembers them as such!
John and Abigail Adams
John and Abigail Adams were partners long before women were regarded as political figures in this country. At the time Adams was President, women did not vote and would not be able to for over a hundred years. During their marriage, John and Abigail spent a lot of time apart as John travelled around the world for the cause of America. They wrote to each other often and addressed each other as “partner” in their letters. Their letters have become famous and spanned from 1762 during their courtship until 1801. For a couple that spent so many years apart, they maintained a close relationship through the written word.
Ultimately, John and Abigail had a similar passion. They both wanted to see the United States freed from England’s rule and they wanted America to blossom and grow. They sacrificed so much for its cause! Most of us could not imagine spending so much time apart from our spouses, but they did it!
I love that so much of their relationship revolved around letters (39 years of them!) because it reminds me of my grandparents. If it were not for the power of the written word, I may not be here today! ~smile~ My grandfather, overseas during World War II, met my great uncle who provided him with a picture of my grandma. Soon, the letters came! Sometimes they were twelve pages long! After three years of writing each other (often daily), and with only a few days of face-to-face contact, my grandparents married. Some might have called their quick decision irresponsible, but it lasted until his death in 1993, so they must have done something right!
It is unlikely that your future marriage will be exactly the way you imagine it. There will be rough spots. There will be times of intense joy. And if you follow the path God has for you, you can be assured it will not be boring. You may find yourself in a situation where you and your spouse are not able to communicate traditionally, but the good news is you can still reach each other!
If John and Abigail Adams could remain in contact countries apart in the 1700s, surely we can find a way to stay connected to our sweethearts now with all the technology we have in our grasp.
If you want to enjoy some history, check out the book, The Letters of John and Abigail Adams. I have not read it yet, but it sounds fascinating! Though it is not a relationship book, I’m sure there are treasures we can take away from John and Abigail’s less-than-typical marriage.
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter
Rosalynn Carter was good friends with Jimmy Carter’s sister. One day, she asked her friend if she could have the picture of Jimmy hanging in her friend’s bedroom. So, the Carter marriage began with a little crush and eventually became a close partnership. ~smile~
Before getting into politics, the Carters were partners in the family peanut business and their partnership continued into the White House. Sources say when Rosalynn was not nearby, Jimmy was ill-at-ease. When she returned from a visit to several Latin American countries, he did not wait for her to exit the plane. He bounded up the steps to greet her. It was clear that they meant a lot to each other and that the country was not going to have one without the other.
Jimmy Carter’s presidency is remembered for the economic issues and gas shortages that came in the late 1970’s. Some would blame him for the state of the nation; whereas, others would consider it his misfortune to be in office at such a time in history.
Listening to a brief interview with Rosalynn Carter, she said that she still believed the country would have been better off if they had elected Jimmy for a second term, but she said she was not sure that they would have created the Carter Center if he had remained in office. His legacy comes more for his humanitarian work after his presidency than from his time in office.
Whether it was in the Georgia peanut business, in the White House, or laboring to alleviate human suffering, the Carters have always worked together. Like with all presidents, I don’t agree with everything he has done and every attitude he has expressed, but I do respect his marriage. If Eric and I were famous enough to go down in history, I hope we would be remembered as a team that worked together for the good others instead of a couple that followed separate paths.
The Carter marriage reminds me of how important it is to marry someone who has your back, walks beside you, is a faithful advisor, and is passionate about the same causes for which you are passionate. Marriage is about so much more than us and our happiness.
Ronald and Nancy Reagan
Ronald Reagan holds a special place in my heart. Perhaps it is because he was in office when I was born, or maybe it is because he made people feel so proud to be Americans. For whatever reason, when I see pictures of him I feel like I’m looking at a grandfather.
I would imagine a lot of other 80’s babies feel the same way. President Reagan certainly began his adult life in a non-political way. His first job of consequence was as a lifeguard in Lowell Park where he rescued seventy-seven people. Later he became an actor, a role not expected to lead to politics. I would imagine he had no political ambitions as he stepped on the set of his first movie. So, it goes to show that we never know exactly where our lives will lead us. ~smile~
When Ronald Reagan entered the White House, he was accompanied by his closest friend and companion, his second wife, Nancy Reagan. According to their son, this couple had the ultimate partnership – perhaps so much so that the kids felt a bit left out of, or second fiddle, to whatever their parents were doing.
Nancy Reagan was very involved in her husband’s presidency. Though she did not take on Congress in the way Hillary Clinton did, she was very (shall we say) “in contact” with her husband and his advisors. She was not one to simply sit on the sidelines. She liked to be involved in his schedule and she could be strict on his activity level when he was recovering from surgery. She even consulted her astrologer to find out when the President should or should not travel.
Even though presidential couples are supposed to look “happy” for the camera, there was a sense that Ronald and Nancy genuinely loved each other and held each other in high regard. When Don Regan, Reagan’s Chief of Staff from 1985-1987, hung up on Nancy Reagan after a heated telephone call, Reagan fired him. Nancy had been pushing for his removal for a while, but after President Reagan found out that Don Regan had treated his wife in such a manner, it was over.
Even though the media was rough on Nancy Reagan, I do believe she loved and adored her husband. Her methods were questionable at times, but she really did want the best for him and went out of her way to look out for him. Whether Don Regan should have been fired or not (see Iran-Contra Affair), it was refreshing to see that Reagan would not tolerate his wife being mistreated. If Eric ever becomes President, I hope he will treat me with the same regard. ~smile~ {Eric’s note: Though I have the personality type for it, I have no aspirations to become President. I’m much happier helping couples with learning more about themselves and each other and preparing for marriage. ~smile~}
So much strength comes from working together as a team. And when teammates share a deep, compassionate love for each other, they can experience an ever deepening connection as they work side-by-side towards common goals. Reading about presidential relationships gives me a stronger desire to work with my husband and to consider how our marriage can bless the world instead of focusing primarily on how our marriage can bless ourselves.
Take some time and study your leaders’ marriages. See what you can learn about relationships from those who have led your country.
Who is your favorite political couple and what have you learned from them about marriage?