First, they encourage the girls to cherish and maintain the relationships they made with White House staff and Secret Service agents, acknowledging that “they put their lives on hold for us.” They touchingly describe how the people that served them while their parents were in the White House have been there for the big moments of their lives outside of it.
Next, they encourage the young girls to “enjoy college. As most of the world knows, we did,” making a tongue-in-cheek reference to their court appearance for underage drinking while their dad was in office. “Make mistakes—you are allowed to,” they exhort. (I hope Malia and Sasha will note the ability the Bush girls have to poke fun at themselves as well!)
Finally, they encourage the girls to make the most of all they have seen and heard, the privilege of traveling and learning about others that their father’s office afforded them.
But it’s the Bush and Hager’s parting words that will mean the most, I’m sure: an acknowledgement that being in a world where your parents are constantly criticized is just plain hard. “You have listened to harsh criticism of your parents by people who had never even met them. You stood by as your precious parents were reduced to headlines…As always, they will be rooting for you as you begin your next chapter. And so will we.”
In a world where, as I mentioned, people are still screaming intolerance and hatred for anyone who disagrees with them politically, where our country is more divided than perhaps any time since the Civil War, these words of love and light from the Bush daughters to the Obama daughters truly spoke to my heart.
My prayer is that we can ALL be more of THIS to each other.
Read the entire letter at TIME.
