My daughter Laura asked me not long ago, “Is it possible to end well?” Then she challenged me, “I would love to see an example of someone who really does a good job of that.” I’m pretty sure I know what she means. She wants to see her Momma stay positive, encouraging, maybe even entertaining and happy, until my last day. Some of that is within my control. Some of it isn’t. But Barbara Bush ended well, and I would love to do the same.
She loved and affirmed her husband for 73 years!!! Just two days before she died, she told someone who came into her room to go downstairs and “tell George how much I adore him.” And one day when they were both in the hospital, and he was looking (at least through the eyes of others) very unkempt and pathetic, Barbara looked at him and said, “Oh my. You are devastatingly handsome!” I love that. I need to up my game in terms of complimenting my Silver Fox.
Proverbs 18:22 says, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord.” Former President George H.W. Bush most certainly “found a good thing” when he met and married Barbara.
She maintained such loving relationships with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren that she was surrounded by them to the end, and many were honoring and serving her at her memorial service.
She had a cause she championed that mattered to OTHERS — literacy. She used her position as First Lady to support efforts to increase literacy but carried that on even after her White House years.
She was known for her honesty, her forthright comments, her discernment and her humor.
She was sure of her salvation. Her son Jeb shared at the funeral that during a conversation with his mom about death, she said, “I believe in Jesus. He’s my Savior. I know I’m going to a wonderful place.” What a testimony for the hundreds attending the service in person and for the millions who watched on TV.
Thank you for your incredible example, Barbara Bush.
In a sermon last week, our pastor preached from Psalm 27:4 – “One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to meditate in His temple.” Barbara Bush is right now dwelling in the house of the Lord, beholding the beauty of the Lord and meditating in His temple. I have that same request of the Lord.
A wonderful read. Yes, Barbara Bush was a wonderful Christian, wife, mother and grandmotber. What a perfect example.
Jane Ann, I’m sure you can relate to Barbara from the same perspective that I do. Thanks for taking time to comment.
What a lovely tribute to a lovely person! (Written BY an equally lovely person! )
Hi Rhonda, thank you for your sweet words this morning. And, what a coincidence to run into Jason in the grocery store shortly after I read them. We, of course, hadn’t seen each other in years, but Hilliars are easy to recognize. We had a good chat.
Well said Connie. I had the pleasure of meeting her in 1984, and she was just as pleasant and real in person. She was the guest speaker at the ‘Coalition for Literacy’ conference.
(I was working at the conference center) as a matter of fact she is my ‘famous person ‘ when anyone asks if you’ve ever met anyone famous😉. I’m quite proud!
Oh my, what an incredible opportunity! It makes me so happy to know that she really was what she appeared to be — pleasant and real. Thanks for sharing this, Phyllis.