Similar to when former President George W. Bush left President Barack Obama a letter before he took office in 2009, the Bush daughters decided to do the same for Sasha and Malia.
Eight years later, Jenna and Barbara Bush have penned a second letter to the Obama girls providing them advice about life after the White House, and welcoming them to the “rarified club of Former First children.”
In the letter, the Bush sisters encourage Sasha and Malia to cherish their memories in the White House, and to take the lessons they learned and the events they experienced with them outside the White House gates. They encourage them to cultivate the relationships they made within the White House, with the people — the florists, the butlers, the maids, the Secret Service agents — who helped and watched them grow over the past eight years.
Being First Children is an “unbelievable pressure” — listening to harsh criticism of your parents and watching them be “reduced in headlines” — and they should be proud of themselves, the Bush girls tell the First Children.
As this chapter of their lives comes to a close, the girls have much to look forward to outside the White House — Barbara and Jenna encourage them to enjoy college, pursue passions and spend time with friends.
In their touching note, the Bush girls have a lot to say, and much to teach the teenage Obamas. Here are three inspirational quotes from the letter:
“Explore your passions. Learn who you are. Make mistakes.”
“Surround yourself with loyal friends who know you, adore you and will fiercely protect you. Those who judge you don’t love you, and their voices shouldn’t hold weight. Rather, it’s your own hearts that matter.”
“Take all that you have seen, the people you have met, the lessons you have learned, and let that help guide you in making positive change.”
