Barbara Bush - Barbara Bush: A Memoir

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To faith, family, and friends; and to George Bush, who taught me
that these are the most important things in life.

B arbara Bush taught us how to live, love, and laugh. When asked whether she would be willing to uproot her young family and leave the comforts of Greenwich, Connecticut, to move to West Texas, she did not hesitate. She, of course, would say that she would go anywhere with the love of her life, our dad. I think it was more than that. I think she, too, has an adventuresome spirit; the idea of heading to the foreign culture of Texas intrigued her. She was not fearful of change. This was a pattern of her life. She, of course, was not the one who was offered the new challenges, but she was the one who charged ahead with no complaints and an eagerness to learn. Like her mate, she felt life was to be lived to the max. I smile when I think of Mom and her little yelpers (those would be her dogs) walking the beach in Kennebunkport. Her message is, Walk lifes beaches for as long as you can.

Mom taught us how to love. No doubt her number one love was Dad. But she had plenty of love to spare for her children. She was always encouraging and never deflating (except the time she told me that I couldnt beat Ann Richards for governor of Texas). She was the disciplinarian in our family. She was quick to scold when I stepped over the imaginary good behavior line. She spoke her mind. There was not much subtlety. But once the tempest passed she was quick to move on. She did so because of the love in her heart.

Mom has a sharp and quick wit. She is not afraid to speak her mind. She is self-deprecating. She can spot a phony before most. She deflated the pompous and the arrogant. She is a pro at putting people at ease because she herself is at ease. On her dog walks she befriends all kinds of people. The local tomato salesman is one of her favorites. Of course she remembers the name of every dog. During my time in office, the number of people who said I just love your mother or I wish I could just meet your mother was astounding.

Mom taught me how to laugh, how to see irony, how to verbally joust. She had a doormat in our home in Houston that said Birds fly high because they take themselves lightly. She always took her duties seriously, like that of First Lady. But never herself.

I could go on and on, but she might think that I was the pompous one by trying to dominate the introduction in her book. So I end knowing that Im a lucky man to have had Barbara Bush as a mother.

George W. Bush

I salute the publisher for reissuing my mothers memoir for the simple fact that we could all use a good dose of Barbara Bushs humor, her caring, and her plainspoken wisdom. I say that as a totally biased son, but am willing to wager that there are millions who would agree with that sentiment.

Barbara Pierce Bush is an American treasure.

As to what she has taught me, I would start with how to be a good parent. Mom has always had the firm belief that a successful life is defined first and foremost by loving your children with all of your heart and soul. How lucky we were to learn the habits that lead to a successful life from the best!

Mom did that. One of my earliest childhood memories is reading books chronicling the adventures of Babar the Elephant with her. Later it was Zelda the Zebra. I loved the pictures, and together we read those books hundreds of timesby which time I am sure Mom could recite each book from memory. Still, it was one of her first, and most important, gifts to me: the gift of reading.

The time she invested in us and the power of her example inspired me when my wife, Columba, and I were blessed with three wonderful children of our own.

Mom taught me plenty of other things as well. She taught me the importance of civility. She taught me not to take myself seriously. God help you if she ever caught you acting arrogant. You would get that Barbara Bush look and then you would be hit with her very quick and sharp wit that would put you in your place. Even today, when I am speaking to an audience, I feel her looming presence behind me whispering: Dont brag. Dont toot your own horn too loud. Dont talk like a big shot.

Dad calls Mom the Enforcer, because she tended to be the one who has meted out discipline through the years. Like many parents, my mothers style of discipline could often be fairly described as a benevolent dictatorship. But if you had really messed up, she could just as readily discard the benevolent part. Looking back, I have to confess the punishment usually fit the crime.

Long before I ever considered entering politics, Mom also taught us the importance of staying on message. If she ever gave you advice or corrected you, she was apt to repeat herself. On this front, my siblings and I challenged her patience on a regular basis. Still, hearing her impart the same piece of wisdom repeatedly became the first known instance of a phenomenon today called Bush fatigue.

I suppose it would have helped things had we been faster learners, or better behaved.

Aside from family, Barbara Bush is the best friend to hundreds if not thousands of people. I imagine her time living in Washington taught her the true meaning of genuine friendship. Friends are with you through the good times and the bad ones too. As she details in the book, she also learned a lot about friendship after watching my sister Robin slip from their grasp at an innocent, early age. They will never forget the way their friends and neighbors in Midland rallied to their side.

Mom also taught us the importance of faith in God, but never in a preachy, showy kind of way. Again, it is in the consistent manner in which she has lived her life, reaching out to others, trying to leave this a better world than she found it. Working with her and her family literacy foundation, I can attest to the tens of thousands of lives she has touched, and lifted, and infused with new hope.

Now, having said all of this, let me confide that Barbara Bush would be the first to tell you she is not perfect. As president, my brother George got us both in trouble at a Florida event during which he teased Mom about her lack of total expertise in the kitchen. (Mom didnt buy my explanation that I was laughing just to be polite to the President of the United States.) More recently, I have learned that she can be somewhat deficient in explaining certain political endorsements!

But where Mom is totally wrong is in describing herself as the luckiest person in the world. That simply cannot be because it is us kids, my siblings and I, who have been blessed beyond belief to have Barbara Pierce Bush raise us, and guide us, and instill in us a sense of values. Together with our father, she has given us the love and lessons we need to make our way in this complex and wonderful world.

Jeb Bush

M oms seventy-year devoted marriage, her public affection and support for her children and grandchildren, her sharp humor, her naturally elegant pearl-accented style and silver head of hair have endeared her to millions. Moms commitment to literacy and support of so many worthy nonprofit agencies have inspired Americans to get involved in causes that make a difference in the lives of others. The truth is, Mom is a great role model, and millions have learned something from Barbara Bush, the First Lady.