After the wall-to-wall coverage of the past few days, I thought I already felt too emotionally worn out to be moved by today's service at the National Cathedral. But when former-president Bush's voice broke as he said, "I learned more from Ronald Reagan than from anybody else. I learned courage. I learned kindness," well, then the tears started streaming down my face again.

The service was all just exactly right. Instead of trying to dominate the event, President Bush gave a speech that was respectfully understated, and he left the best stories and the best lines to be said by the "old guys and gals," the ones who knew Reagan best. The tribute from the Iron Lady was one for the history books, and proved that she herself deserves every honor she recognized in Ronald Reagan. Rev. Danforth spoke movingingly and unashamedly of the important role of faith in the American polity.

Among those in attendance, with the Iron Lady Thatcher were Blair and the British Crown Prince, Italy's Berlusconi, and Germany's Schroeder. Notably absent, or should I say "unilaterally absent," was Mr. Chirac. To me that speaks volumes about the small-minded historical myopia of a certain kind of European whom the French president so well represents. Was Al Gore there? I didn't see him. Perhaps he was consoling Mr. Chirac. And is it my jaded eye, or did the Clintons seem to be feigning boredom? (Has that man ever felt a genuine emotion?) But enough of such negativity. The Gipper wouldn't have paid them more than a moment's notice, nor should I.

Better to notice the gratitude of the great-souled ones, such as Lech Walensa, who proudly credit Ronald Reagan for their freedom:

When talking about Ronald Reagan, I have to be personal. We in Poland took him so personally. Why? Because we owe him our liberty. This can't be said often enough by people who lived under oppression for half a century, until communism fell in 1989.