Jenna Bush Hagertakes comfort in knowing that although her grandfatherGeorge H.W. Bushhaspassed away, he gets to be reunited with his late wife Barbara, whodied in April.
“Waking up missing this giant of a man who gave me everything,” theTodayshow correspondent, who justcelebrated her 37th birthdayon Sunday,wroteon Instagram Saturday.
“He taught me and my family about service, family, decency, the power of gentle words and a beautiful heart,” she continued, adding that while she “will miss him desperately,” she’s “so happy he and my Grandmother are back together.”
Alongside the touching tribute, she shared a series of family snapshots taken through the years.
Jenna went on to pen a lengthier post alongside atouching cartoonthat showed her grandfather being reunited in heaven with his wife and their daughter Robin, whodied at the age of 3 of leukemia.
In the image, Bush’s late wife and daughter tell him “we waited for you,” as all three of them hold hands in the clouds.
“This brought me such comfort this morning,” shewrote, before sharing a conversation about death that she had with her grandfather beforehe died at age 94 on Friday.
“I had the opportunity to talk with my grandpa about the afterlife. This is what he said: He answered without any hesitation. ‘Yes, I think about it. I used to be afraid. I used to be afraid of dying. I used to worry about death. But now in some ways I look forward to it,’” she continued. “And I started crying. I managed to choke out, ‘Well, why? What do you look forward to?’ ”
In response, he said: “ ‘Well, when I die, I’m going to be reunited with these people that I’ve lost.’ And I asked who he hoped to see. He replied I hope I see Robin, and I hope I see my mom.”
“And then he said, ‘I hope she’s the three-year-old,’” she continued, before revealing a sweet memory Bush shared with his entire family of his late daughter. “Robin was the daughter this giant of a man lost years before to leukemia. The little girl he held tightly: who spoke the phrase I have heard Gampy repeat for my entire life, forever knitting Robin’s voice into the tightly woven fabric of our family: ‘I Love you more than tongue can tell.’”
Moments after news of his father’s death was announced on Friday, former PresidentGeorge W. Bushalso shared aheartwarming tributeto his father and to his parents’ love on Instagram.
“Jeb, Neil, Marvin, Doro, and I are saddened to announce that after 94 remarkable years, our dear Dad has died,” George W. Bushcaptioned a photoshowing his late father walking arm and arm with his late wife, former First Lady Barbara Bush, who died at age 92 nearly eight months earlier.
“George H. W. Bush was a man of the highest character and the best dad a son or daughter could ask for. The entire Bush family is deeply grateful for the 41’s life and love, for the compassion of those who have cared and prayed for Dad, and for the condolences of our friends and fellow citizens,” he added.
Hours later, his brother Jeb Brushadded, “I already miss the greatest human being that I will ever know. Love you Dad!”
His grandson George P. Bush alsowroteon Twitter Friday, “My grandfather was the greatest man I ever knew.”
JOHN MOTTERN/AFP/Getty
The former president died on Friday night at 10:10 p.m., his spokesperson Jim McGrath confirmed.
But the weight of her passing clearly took a toll on Bush, who washospitalized less than 24 hours afterburying his wife after contracting an infection that spread to his blood. He later recovered andtraveled to the family’s beloved summer homein Kennebunkport, Maine, in mid-May, but a week later wasreadmitted to the hospital for low blood pressure and fatigue.
source: people.com
