Dad does not do things like that to get attention. He is just living out the values that have defined his whole life. One of his favorite quotes is: “Preach the Gospel at all times; if necessary, use words.” Over time, people began to take notice, and there was an outpouring of public affection for Dad. I am so pleased that George Bush’s accomplish
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AS DEVOTED AS he has always been to public service, what matters most to George H.W. Bush is his family. When he said that he no longer pursued happiness because he had found happiness, it was his family that he had in mind. He is especially affectionate with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He devotes enormous time and energy to developing a relationship with each of them, smothering them in a blanket of love. He sends cards or e-mails about their part in the school play or game-winning hit in Little League. And in Maine during the summers, he always loves when they arrive.
In November 2012, Dad checked into Houston Methodist hospital with a bad cough. When Laura and I went to visit a few days later, he was wearing a brace around his abdomen and obviously suffering serious pain. “How you feeling, Dad?” I asked. He smiled. “It’s not the cough that carries you off; it’s the coffin you go off in,” he quipped. In typical fashion, he lifted our spirits.
His condition worsened in early December. The brutal, hacking cough turned to pneumonia. I called him often. I wanted to hear his voice and gauge his strength. At the end of every phone call, I said, “I love you.” He would always reply, “I love you more.”
Fearing the worst, our family surrounded Dad. My brother Neil sat for hours at his bedside reading aloud to him. Jeb, Marvin, and Doro visited with their families. Laura and I made another trip to the hospital in December. This time we brought Barbara and Jenna, who was five months pregnant. Before we went in, I told everyone not to cry. I did not want Dad to sense our despair. As we entered the room, he could barely open his eyes and his voice was weak.
“Hi, George, how are you? And there’s Laura. Hi, beautiful.” He lay back contently as Barbara and Jenna rubbed his head. Then he reached out and gently put his hand on Jenna’s pregnant belly.
“There’s death,” he said, “and there’s new life.” We all left the room sobbing.
Long ago, Lieutenant George Bush had narrowly escaped death in the Pacific. For the next seventy years, he made the most of the life God had spared. He and my mother raised and loved six children. He served his fellow citizens at the highest level, striving above all to advance the cause of peace. He has lived a life of faith, devoted to his family. In the winter of 2012, when he was still in a weakened state, I reminded him that my presidential library was scheduled to open the following April.
“I’ll be there, son,” he said.
Sure enough, when, on a beautiful sunny day in Dallas, the current and former Presidents gathered at SMU, George H.W. Bush was there. He had battled through the illness and regained his strength. He was in his wheelchair sitting tall. When it was his turn to speak, his voice was strong. “It’s a great pleasure to be here to honor our son, our oldest son,” he said, trying hard to control his emotions. “This is very special for Barbara and me…. We’re glad to be here. God bless America, and thank you very much.” The crowd gave him a standing ovation. I cherished the moment, which a few months earlier had seemed like an unlikely dream. Then he turned to me.
“Too long?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.
“Perfect, Dad,” I said.
Dad signed this photo of us on his boat Fidelity in the summer of 1991. “George—My idea of Heaven! Devotedly, Dad.” Mine, too. GBPLM/Carol Powers
The storm that gave my parents’ beloved home at Walker’s Point “a historic pounding” late in 1991 was a harbinger of the tumultuous year ahead for George Bush. GBPLM/David Valdez
Amid his own disappointment after losing the re-election, Dad invited Dana Carvey, who impersonated him on Saturday Night Live, to the White House to cheer up the staff. GBPLM/Susan Biddle
When the President-elect and Mrs. Clinton arrived at the White House on Inauguration Day, Mother and Dad received them with genuine kindness and warmth. As he wrote in a letter that he left for Bill Clinton on the Oval Office desk, Dad was rooting hard for his successor. GBPLM/Joyce Naltchayan
On the morning of my inauguration as Governor of Texas, Mother brought me an envelope from Dad with a handwritten card and his “most treasured possession,” cuff links given to him by his parents. David Woo/The Dallas Morning News
As I took the oath of office to become Governor of Texas, Dad wiped away a tear. It struck me that our roles had been reversed: After years of me supporting him in public office, he was supporting me. Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Rodger Mallison
Over my eight years as President, I would have many memorable meetings in the Oval Office. None compared to standing in that majestic room with my father on my first day. George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum (GWBPLM)/Eric Draper
After delivering an emotional speech at the National Cathedral three days after 9/11, Dad reached over and gently squeezed my arm. His simple, loving gesture brought me comfort, encouragement, and strength. GWBPLM/Eric Draper
41 and I didn’t talk much business during my presidency. Dad knew I had plenty of advisers; he also understood the pressure of the job. He provided love and laughter to ease my stress. (Looking on is President John Quincy Adams, President John Adams’s son.) GWBPLM/Eric Draper
I love this picture of Mother and Dad during Laura’s speech at the 2004 Republican National Convention. When I was re-elected, Dad’s wound from 1992 healed a little more. GWBPLM/Paul Morse
I asked former rivals George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton to team up and raise funds for disaster relief several times during my presidency. The odd couple raised hundreds of millions of dollars and developed a remarkable friendship. GWBPLM/Eric Draper
Our family at Camp David on Christmas 2008. GWBPLM/Eric Draper
For one of my final Oval Office meetings, I welcomed the living former Presidents and the incoming President, Barack Obama. The President-elect was gracious and particularly deferential to Dad, whom he later honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. GWBPLM/Joyce N. Boghosian