The death today of former first lady Barbara Bush, the wife of the 41st president, George H.W. Bush and the mother of the 43rd, President George W. Bush, marks the earthly conclusion of a remarkable and well-lived life. She was 92.
Lovingly nicknamed the “Silver Fox” by her adoring husband, Barbara was married to George for 73 years, a record for a presidential couple. As a wife, her commitment was unprecedented and as a mother to six, her love was unconditional. Though she traveled the globe with her husband in various professional roles, moving 29 times in all, her primary focus and priority remained her family. She was elegant and charming, a gracious woman known for her keen wit and humor. Once asked about keeping up with domestic responsibilities she replied, “The darn trouble with cleaning the house is it gets dirty the next day anyway, so skip a week if you have to. The children are the most important thing.” She later said, that “Family means putting your arms around each other and being there.”
The love and devotion she had for her own family also manifested itself in her deep concern for others. During her time as first lady, Mrs. Bush took up literacy as a top priority. “Focusing on the family is the best place to start to make this country more literate,” she reflected in 1994.
Most importantly, Barbara Bush was a woman of deep faith. “I have no fear of death, which is a huge comfort because we’re getting darn close,” she said in 2013. “I don’t have a fear of death for my precious George, or for myself, because I know that there is a great God, and I’m not worried.”
Please join me in thanking the Lord for the long and storied life of Barbara Pierce Bush, and also let us pray for her family who grieves her passing.
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