Bush daughters offer advice to Obama kids
As George W. Bush vacates the White House, his twin daughters have passed on some advice to the Obama girls — find loyal friends, slide down the banisters, and remember who your dad really is.
Barbara and Jenna Bush, 27, reflected on their years in the White House in an open letter to 10-year-old Malia Obama and her 7-year-old sister Sasha, in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.
“We also first saw the White House through the innocent, optimistic eyes of children,” they wrote, recalling that they were only seven when their grandfather George Bush was sworn in as the 41st president in 1989.
“Our seven-year-old imaginations soared as we played in the enormous, beautiful rooms; our dreams, our games, as romantic as their surroundings. At night, the house sang us quiet songs through the chimneys as we fell asleep.”
The twins returned to the White House in 2001 after their father was elected 43rd president of the United States.
“The White House welcomed us back and there is no doubt that it is a magical place at any age,” wrote Jenna, an author and school teacher, and Barbara, who has worked for museums and charities.
The twins advised the Obama girls to “absorb it all, enjoy it all,” as four years go by fast. They also recommended surrounding themselves with loyal friends and told them to cherish their pets “because sometimes you’ll need the quiet comfort that only animals can provide.”
Also, slide down the banister of the solarium, go to T-ball games, have swimming parties and play on the White House lawn.
But they cautioned that life as the First Daughters would not always be easy with their father portrayed differently than the man they know.
“Many people will think they know him, but they have no idea how he felt the day you were born, the pride he felt on your first day of school, or how much you both love being his daughters,” they wrote. “So here is our most important piece of advice: remember who your dad really is.”
