What's in a name? (Part 1)

Reagan

Daniel and I always really liked the name Reagan for a girl. It was cute, sporty, and after all... the great Ronald Reagan donned the moniker. But after we had Logan, our interest in the name kind of died out for one reason or another, and we started discussing other options should the next baby be a girl.  But in January 2013, Reagan really took on a personal, meaningful significance for us. 

Daniel had been working at The Heritage Foundation for about 6 months when Edwin Meese, his boss at the Legal Center and Ronald Reagan's Attorney General, announced he was retiring. We were fortunate enough to get an invite to his retirement party. 

Let me set the scene for you...a swanky restaraunt in downtown DC. An intimate group of Ed Meese's close friends and family including Dick Cheney's Chief of Staff, one of the founding members of The Heritage Foundation, and a former Assistant Solicitor General of the United States. Oh, and Daniel and me, of course! Everyone is mingling and vying for Mr. Meese's attention. He takes time to talk to everyone there. He even remembered Logan's name and asked how he was doing. Such a nice man! And his wife remembered my name and chit chatted with me while she sipped her gin and tonic. People are giving toasts to Ed Meese telling stories about everything from his messy office to how he basically saved America. 

The story that stuck with me from that night, was actually told by Mr. Meese himself. It was a time of distress for our country. President Reagan was faced with a difficult decision, try and cover up a mistake, or be honest with the American people. He gathered his staff together and told them, he didn't care what it cost him in the polls and popularity, he was going to tell the truth, because, as Mr. Meese put it, "The American people deserve the truth, and they can handle it."

This story struck me to the very core. No matter what side of the aisle you fall and no matter what you think of President Reagan's policies and viewpoints, I think we can all agree that we want a leader with integrity. Someone that will make the right decision when it's easier to make the wrong decision. Someone who believes in people. A person who looks for the best in others. Someone who can admit when they are wrong. Then I realized that's what I want my daughter to be like. I want her to have those qualities. That night, the name Reagan really began to represent those attributes to me much more than President Reagan himself (although I still love him, of course!)

As we were walking back to the Metro after that very special night, I looked at Daniel and told him, "We have to name our first daughter Reagan. It has to be Reagan." Daniel agreed. "Yeah, yeah it does."