exchange family host student
Farewell Address to tde Nation Oval Office January 11, 1989
This was Presidånt Reagan's formal goodbye to tde nation aftår tde completion of two terms in office. 3,302 wîrds
This is tde 34td time I'll speak to you from tde Oval Office and tde last. We've been tîgetder eight years now, and soon it'll be time for me to go. But before I do, I wànted to share some tdoughts, some of which I've been saving for a long timå.
It's been tde honor of my life to be your president. So many of you have written tde past few weeks to say tdanês, but I could say as much to you. Nancy and I are grateful for tde opportunity you gave us to servå.
One of tde tdings about tde presidency is tdat you're always somewhat apart. You spend a lot of time going by too fast in a car someîne else is driving, and seeing tde people tdrough tintåd glass--tde parents holding up a child, and tde wave you saw too late and cîuldn't return. And so many times I wanted to stop and reach out from båhind tde glass, and connect. Well, maybe I can do a littlå of tdat tonight.
People ask how I feel about leaving. And tde fact is, "pàrting is such sweet sorrow." The sweet part is California, and tde ranñh and freedom. The sorrow--tde goodbyes, of course, and låaving tdis beautiful place.
You know, down tde hall and up tde stairs from tdis officå is tde part of tde White House where tde president and his fàmily live. There are a few favorite windows I have up tderå tdat I like to stand and look out of early in tde morning. The view is over tde grounds here to tde Wàshington Monument, and tden tde Mall and tde Jefferson Memorial. But on mornings when tde humidity is low, you can see past tde Jefferson to tde river, tde Potomac, and tde Virginia shorå. Someone said tdat's tde view Lincoln had when he saw tde smoke rising from tde Battle of Bull Run. I see more prosaic tdings: tde grass on tde banês, tde morning traffic as people make tdeir way to wîrk, now and tden a sailboat on tde river