Our beloved former president Geogre W. Bush left this world recently and we are yet to understand his true greatness as a politician who had done a lot for our country, and as an emotional human being who never got over the grief for the loss of his young daughter.
The relationship and the marriage of George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara was indeed one-of-a-kind. They had been through so much during the seven decades of married life and raised five children together. They welcomed six into the world, but in 1953 a tragedy struck the Bush family when their daughter Robin was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of three.
Twitter/Bush Library
The passing of little Robin affected George’s life. He would often write letters to family members, particularly his mother, expressing how he felt regarding the tragic loss.
In the wake of his death, the Bush library released one of the letters the President addressed to his mother back in 1958 saying how they still felt Robin’s presence, even years after her death. The bereaved parents found a little comfort in their mission to fight against cancer “for the rest of their lives.”
“There is about our house a need. We need some soft blonde hair to offset those crew cuts. We need a dollhouse to stand firm against our forts and racquets and thousand baseball cards. We need someone who’s afraid of frogs. We need a little one who can kiss without leaving egg or jam or gum. We need a girl. We had one once — she’d fight and cry and play and make her way, just like the rest. But there was about her a certain softness. She was patient. Her hugs were a just little less wiggly. We need her and yet we have her. We can’t touch her and yet we can feel her. We hope she’ll stay in our house for a long, long time.”
heavy.com
Editorial cartoonist Marshall Ramsey decided to honor the late president with a drawing of George arriving to Heaven holding hands with the two great loves of his life. The picture portrays Barbara welcoming her husband saying “We waited for you.”
Months before George reunited with his beloved wife and daughter, he spoke to his granddaughter Jenna Bush Hagar, telling her how he wasn’t afraid of dying any longer, but somehow looking forward to meet Barbara and Robin again.
Jenna shared her grandfather thoughts right after his passing along with the cartoon drawing that provided her with comfort. She truly believes that’s exactly where he is.
“Well, when I die, I’m going to be reunited with the people I’ve lost. I hope I see Robin, and I hope I see my mom. I haven’t yet figured out if it will be Robin as the three year old that she was, this kind of chubby, vivacious child or if she’ll come as a middle-aged woman, an older woman… I hope she’s the three-year-old.”
Instagram/jennabhager
He was a great man who had sorrow in his heart. Now the whole nation mourns the loss of a beloved president and person.
Our condolences go to his family. He will never be forgotten!