Barbara Bush - Pearls of Wisdom: Little Pieces of Advice (That Go a Long Way)

You might question how someone who left this good earth two years ago could be the author of a new book.

Simple, really. It was her wordstaken from diary entries, letters, speeches, and the memories of the people who knew and loved herthat made this book possible. It is indeed written in her voice and in her spirit.

My role was to gather the information, put it all in one place, and serve as the narrator. It was a perfect fit, since her voice is still in my ear. I worked for Barbara Bush for twenty-nine years: four years in the White House as one of her deputy press secretaries, and then in a variety of roles from 1993 until she died. I was her book editor, speechwriter, and sometimes even an adviser. (She listened to my advice at least once or twice.)

During most of those twenty-nine years, from 1994 until he died on November 30, 2018, I was also President Bushs chief of staff. Needless to say, Mrs. Bush was one of my mentors and main advisers. (I listened to her advice a lot.)

So to be her ghostwriter for this final book of hers was what you might call an easy lift.

There are certain things in the book of which she would not approve. Its too much about me, Jean. Well ignore that one.

And it is occasionally repetitious. She hated repetition in speeches and essays. So I apologize to her and to you for that flaw. My excuse: Although our contributors occasionally talk about the same pearl, each story or example is unique or funny or dear enough, I thought you would want to see it. If nothing else, by the time you finish this book, you will get the points she was trying to make.

To help you navigate all the different voices in this book, we have used a variety of fonts:

• Everything Mrs. Bush said is in bold.
• Our guest contributors speak in regular font.
• The narrator speaks in italics.

Before we begin, a few acknowledgments:

• In addition to Mrs. Bush, this book would not have been possible without the contributions from friends and family. Your memories and stories brought Mrs. Bush back to life for all of us.
• A special thanks to the staff of the George H. W. Bush Library, without whom no book about George and Barbara Bush could ever really be written. At least not an accurate book. Head archivist Debbie Wheeler and her team were, as always, stars.
• Chase Untermeyer, who thankfully volunteered to read the galley proof.
• This book would not exist without the support and encouragement of Sean Desmond at Twelve. A special thanks to him and his team.
• And a thank-you to my two sisters, Millie Aulbur and JoAnn Heppermann, who read the early drafts and had great ideas and guidance. They hounded me about the repetition.

They also had one really good question for me, which I did not put in the book: What did I learn from Barbara Bush in thirty years?

Answer: Everything contained in these pages, but for me, choose happiness was her most important lesson.

I hope she knows helping her with this bookour third book project togethermade me very happy.

Jean Becker

There are those who might say Mother was bossy.

Others might call her opinionated. I was certainly on the receiving end of many strongly worded pieces of advice. Fortunately, a few of them took. As Ive always said, I inherited my daddys eyes and my mothers mouth.

Simply put, Mom could be a bit of a blurter. And she had a wonderful sense of humor. In my last conversation with her on this earth, I called to tell her I loved her. I love you too, she responded, and youre my favorite sonon the phone. It was classic Barbara Bush. With trademark delivery, Moms humor lightened the mood. She was quipping into the grave. And it put me at ease knowing that her soul was at ease.

Barbara Bush was much more than just a sharp tongue. Sure, she could be tough and intimidating. But as youll find out in this book, her honesty came from a heart for others.

For those of us who had the great privilege of knowing and loving Mother, to keep all her great advice to ourselves would be selfish. You could say it has given us a bit of a competitive advantage in life.

The purpose of this book is to share the advice and life lessons the friends and family of Barbara Bush have been keeping in their hearts. You will hear from her children and grandchildren, extended family members, friends and former staff, presidents and prime ministers, and a celebrity or two.