70 Quotes by Barbara Bush
Barbara Bush, born Barbara Pierce, was an influential American figure and the wife of the 41st President of the United States, George H. W. Bush. Born in 1925 in New York, Barbara Bush dedicated her life to public service, supporting her husband's political career and making significant contributions of her own. As First Lady from 1989 to 1993, Barbara Bush was widely admired for her warmth, grace, and commitment to literacy and education. She championed initiatives such as the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, which aimed to improve literacy skills among children and adults.
Barbara Bush's efforts to promote literacy and her advocacy for the importance of education left a lasting impact on communities across the nation. Her dedication to volunteer work and her genuine compassion for people from all walks of life endeared her to the American public. Beyond her public role, Barbara Bush was known for her strength, resilience, and unwavering support for her family. Her love and devotion to her husband and children, including her son, President George W. Bush, earned her the respect and admiration of many. Barbara Bush's legacy as a beloved First Lady, advocate for literacy, and matriarch of the Bush family will forever be remembered as a symbol of kindness, compassion, and service to others.
Barbara Bush Quotes
Your success as a family... our success as a nation... depends not on what happens inside the White House, but on what happens inside your house.
At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent.
Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people - your family, friends, and coworkers, and even strangers you meet along the way. (Meaning)
Future of his nation does not depend on what happens at the White House, but what happens at your house
Cherish your human connections: your relationships with friends and family.
I married the first man I ever kissed. When I tell this to my children, they just about throw up.
The home is the child's first school, the parent is the child's first teacher, and reading is the child's first subject.
I'm a liberal when it comes to human rights, the poor; so's George Bush. . . . But Liberal and Conservative don't mean much to me anymore. Does that mean we care about people and are interested and want to help? And if that makes you a Liberal, so be it.
The Titanic was built by professionals. The Ark was built by volunteers.
To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.
If human beings are perceived as potentials rather than problems, as possessing strengths instead of weaknesses, as unlimited rather that dull and unresponsive, then they thrive and grow to their capabilities.
And who knows? Somewhere out in this audience may even be someone who will one day follow in my footsteps, and preside over the White House as the President's spouse. I wish him well!
Well, look at what people are doing for returned veterans now. The wounded warriors. They're working hard to make the wounded veterans feel that they are loved and welcomed home, unlike Vietnam. It was not a very kind, gentle world then. I think we are kinder and gentler.
You have to love your children unselfishly. That's hard. But it's the only way.
Nancy Reagan was a perfectionist, and I am not.
But why should we hear about body bags and deaths, and how many, what day it's gonna happen, and how many this or what do you suppose? Or, I mean, it's not relevant. So, why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?
Libraries have always seemed like the richest places in the world to me, and I?ve done some of my best learning and thinking thanks to them. Libraries and librarians have definitely changed my life ? and the lives of countless other Americans.
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.
Bias has to be taught. If you hear your parents downgrading women or people of different backgrounds, why, you are going to do that.
Why be afraid of what people will say? Those who care about you will say, Good luck! and those who care only about themselves will never say anything worth listening to anyway.
Learning never ends, and as we enter the next century, it will be more and more important for all Americans to be lifelong learners... every one of us can contribute in some way to a better-educated America.
Some people give time, some money, some their skills and connections, some literally give their life's blood . . . but everyone has something to give.
Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our mind to the unexplained worlds occupied by the needs of others.
I think a lot of our problems are because people don't listen to our children. It is not always easy. They're not always so brilliant that you want to spend hours with them. But it is very important to listen to them.
Nobody likes a child to die or losing an election.
If more people could read, write, and comprehend, we could be much closer to solving so many of the other problems our country faces today.
You may think the president is all-powerful, but he is not. He needs a lot of guidance from the Lord.
I think the country has had enough Bushes.
Where will our country find leaders with integrity, courage, strength-all the family values-in ten, twenty, or thirty years? The answer is that you are teaching them, loving them, and raising them right now.
Believe in something larger than yourself... to get involved in some of the big ideas of our time.
Raising five boys is a handful, trust me.
Family and friends and faith are the most important things in your life and you should be building friendships.
One thing I can say about George... he may not be able to keep a job, but he's not boring.
I hate abortions, but just could not make that choice for someone else.
Whether you are talking about education, career, or service, you are talking about life. And life must really have joy. It's supposed to be fun.
Whatever the era...one thing will never change: Fathers and mothers, if you have children, they must come first.
Three publishers came to me at the White House after George lost and said, 'We would like to publish your book.' I said, 'Well, I don't have a book,' and they said well it's a well known fact that you have kept diaries.
People who worry about their hair all the time, frankly, are boring.
It was the dumbest thing I had ever seen, but it's a family thing, and I guess it's clean.
Show me a wife who doesn't offer advice and I'll show you one who doesn't care very much.
You get nothing done if you don't listen to each other.
I'm not saying to be happy you must be married. Nor am I saying that to be happy you need children. I'm saying that if you opt for children - be you man or woman - you have to take care of them.
You know sit with your arm around a little kid and read. It not only teaches them to read but it keeps the family strong.
The First Lady is going to be criticized no matter what she does.
The personal things should be left out of platforms at conventions. You can argue yourself blue in the face, and you're not going to change each other's minds. It's a waste of your time and my time.
There are a lot of ways to serve, and being president is not the only one, and I would hope that someone else would run.
And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this is working very well for them.
As if we don't have enough volence on television. After her husband accidentally hit two spectators with golf balls during a celebrity golf tournament.
Everything I worry about would be better if more people could read, write and comprehend.
My worst expectations never happened.
Value your friendship. Value your relationships.
The winner of the hoop race will be the first to realize her dream, not society's dream, her own personal dream.
I'm a great believer that the most important years are the sort of early years but the preschool years and then into the first and second grades. If you get a good base in the first and second grade and you can read, you can do anything.
George is the best little dishwasher in Texas.
To this day George Sr. is the soft touch and I'm the enforcer. I'm the one who writes them a letter and says 'Shape up!' He writes, 'You're marvelous.'
It seems to me I spent my life in car pools, but you know, that's how I kept track of what was going on.
Describing life out of the public eye to David Letterman, December 6th, 1996 It's been different. I started driving again. I started cooking again. My driving's better than my cooking. George has discovered Sam's Club.
I may be the only mother in America who knows exactly what their child is up to all the time.
I really loved living in the White House, but I don't miss it at all.
Suddenly women's lib had made me feel my life had been wasted.
You try to do something every single day that will help an American or maybe someone overseas.
The state dinner is almost a formula, but you try to make it interesting. You try not to overload it with too many political types. You try to get a cross section.
Life has changed enormously, and I hope - I hope more people read good things.
Nobody likes, you know, the ugly parts of politics.
You know, for one glorious half hour, I was the mother of the president-elect.
The personal things should be left out of, in my opinion, out of platforms and conventions.
Raising George Walker was not easy.
My son, George, has been a bad, bad boy! Right, George?
If you are the wife of a governor or the wife of a vice president, I think you can be prepared for it.
You can't tell a 6-year-old your sister is going to die.
― Barbara Bush Quotes
Barbara Bush (First Lady) Life Highlights
- Barbara Pierce Bush was born on June 8, 1925, in New York City, USA.
- She married George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States, in 1945, and they had six children together.
- Barbara Bush served as the First Lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993 during her husband's presidency.
- She was known for her down-to-earth and approachable personality, earning her the nickname "The Silver Fox."
- As First Lady, Barbara Bush focused on promoting literacy and reading, launching the "Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy" to support literacy programs across the country.
- She was an advocate for volunteerism and worked to raise awareness about various social issues, including homelessness and AIDS.
- Barbara Bush was admired for her commitment to her family and her dedication to public service.
- She was the only woman to have been both the wife and mother of U.S. Presidents, as her son, George W. Bush, became the 43rd President of the United States.
- Barbara Bush's public image was characterized by her trademark white hair and pearls.
- She was a strong supporter of her husband's political career and played an influential role behind the scenes.
- After leaving the White House, Barbara Bush and her husband returned to their home in Houston, Texas.
- She authored two books, including her memoir "Barbara Bush: A Memoir" (1994), which became a bestseller.
- Barbara Bush's legacy is remembered for her advocacy for literacy, her dedication to family, and her genuine kindness and warmth.
- She passed away on April 17, 2018, at the age of 92, leaving behind a lasting impact on the nation and the causes she championed.
* The editor of this curated page made every effort to maintain information accuracy, including any sayings, quotes, facts, dates, or key life events.
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
