Gerald Ford: Why I Will Remember the 38th President

Gerald Ford came about in a time when our country needed him the most. His presidential term coincided with a very difficult time in American history, but he served with grace and dignity.

But there are more reasons then just that that give me reason to feel sad for President Ford's passing. At 93 his passing probably wouldn't have surprised many, but it still was very sad for me when I saw it announced on television. I've always held a place of respect for him and his wife Betty for many reasons including their openness to some of their private demons in a time when things like breast cancer, alcoholism and drug abuse wasn't talked about so openly.

Betty Ford's openness about her struggle with breast cancer made more women 'wake up' to the realities of this horrible disease. It turned into a campaign that made more women comfortable with being open with their doctors and helped remove stigmas and increase awareness. Mrs. Ford also showed that you can go on with life after breast cancer and a mastectomy.

When she and her husband opened the Betty Ford Center in 1982 in Rancho Mirage, California they gave not only individuals struggling with alcoholism and chemical dependency a place to find help and treatment but also a place their families could find caring support with the struggles and emotions they felt. The center has helped over 76,000 people since they opened and continues to help everyone from celebrities to everyday people. The center also tries not to turn anyone in need away, but if they can not help personally they will help to get the person into a program near their home whether it is a clinic specializing in their needs or programs like AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) or NA (Narcotics Anonymous).

President Ford himself started a program for foster children and adopted children to give children the same chance at loving families he was given when he was a child and adopted by his mothers husband Gerald R. Ford and subsequently changed his name from Leslie L. King Jr.