Barbara Bush was at peace with the decision to stop curative treatment for her medical ailments — and so was her family. Former President George W. Bush said he was at peace with what happened because his mother was at peace with her decision — and that she believed in and looked forward to the awaiting afterlife.
The former First Lady died Tuesday. The wife of the 41st President of the United States, George H.W. Bush, and mother to the 43rd, kept her sense of humor and sharp wit intact until the end. Speaking from the Bush Center, George W. Bush recounted a humorous exchange between his mother and physician shortly before she died.
I liked Mrs. Bush, but not because she was “America’s grandmother.” Certainly, she had a friendly and forthright manner that was endearing, but I appreciated the fact she was outspoken and said what was on her mind. We shared some likes and similar passions — and at least a couple of dislikes.
When her husband was Vice President , she selected the promotion of literacy as her special cause. As First Lady, she called working for a more literate America the “most important issue we have.” As honorary chairperson of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, she advocated for access to educational opportunities for children and their families.
”The American Dream is about equal opportunity for everyone who works hard. If we don’t give everyone the ability to simply read and write, then we aren’t giving everyone an equal chance to succeed,” Mrs. Bush said of literacy efforts.
She assisted with many other causes — including the homeless, AIDS, the elderly, and school volunteer programs. “Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people — your family, friends, and coworkers, and even strangers you meet,” Mrs. Bush once said.
And she was a strong proponent of recognizing and advocating for recognizing potential: “If human beings are perceived as potentials rather than problems, as possessing strengths instead of weaknesses, as unlimited rather that dull and unresponsive, then they thrive and grow to their capabilities,” she said.
She had a distaste for moral superiority: “I don’t think that’s healthy for the country when anyone thinks their morals are better than anyone else’s,” she once said. Indeed. Certainly, we all fall short. I’ve always thought it better to concentrate on improving upon one’s own sins, rather than focusing on those of others.
And she loved dogs. Many photographs of Mrs. Bush, alone and with the president, included dogs. The Bush’s dog, Millie, even penned her own best-selling book describing a day in the life of President and Mrs. Bush and discussing morning briefings, deliberations in the Oval Office, and short breaks for squirrel hunting.
Yes, I admired many things about Mrs. Bush. I appreciated her advocacy roles and the fact she was unwilling to tow the party line and support Donald Trump for president. As Republicans fell in line to support Trump and kept mum on his vile behavior and talk, Mrs. Bush spoke out. In the aftermath of Trump’s leaked audio where he bragged about sexually assaulting women, Mrs. Bush refused to endorse him and his misogyny.
Mrs. Bush did not hold back in her views on the current president. She told CNN in February of 2016 that she was “sick of him,” referring to then-candidate Trump. “He doesn’t give many answers to how he would solve problems. He sort of makes faces and says insulting things,” she said. “He’s said terrible things about women, terrible things about the military. I don’t understand why people are for him, for that reason.”
She chimed in on the notorious incident in which Trump implied that FOX host Megyn Kelly was menstruating to explain away her tough questions. He said there was “blood coming from her nose, blood coming from her…wherever.”
“He’s like a comedian, or like a showman or something […] I don’t know how women can vote for someone who said what he said about Megyn Kelly. It’s terrible. And we knew what he meant, too.”
Yes, we do know. Thanks for your candor and grace, Mrs. Bush. You admitted wearing fake pearls, but you were as real as it gets.
Shea Wilson is the former managing editor of the El Dorado News-Times. E-mail her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @SheaWilson7.