I do not always hold my tongue as well as my husband can, but I have learned to hold my tongue outside of our house... but in these walls I let it fly.
All morning I have been on edge. I have said a few things that have caused my husband to raise his eyebrow at me. I have even made up a little ditty of a song that my husband turned up the corner of his mouth to and shook his head at me. But in the end, I agree with my husband. I am an American and the history of our country is a great and amazing thing. President Obama was right when he said that we have a strong spirit. I can only hope that he has as much noble character as my husband does.
Eventually I settled down and watched in silence as President Bush and Laura left the White House lawn and boarded Marine One. My husband and I both sat and watched.
"This is so sad." I said, not expecting a response from Carl.
"Yes... it is sad." Was all he said, and then I cried.
So I would like to say thank you to President and Mrs. George Walker Bush. May your lives be filled with peace and love. May you bask in the happiness that your beautiful daughters give you and may you always know that this country, my country is better because of you. Thank you for your dignity, your graciousness, and your strength. Thank you for your compassion and your moral convictions. Thank you for standing up for what is right and protecting those who are unable to protect themselves. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
May God bless you always.
Amen!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Thanks for honoring President Bush. And thank you for holding down the fort with humor and grace while your husband protects our country! Please know that your sacrifice is much appreciated!
ReplyDeleteDitto on that ...
ReplyDeleteYes... As Maria said, "Thank you!"
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful picture of your family with President Bush.
ReplyDeleteI hope that through your tears you can enjoy this monumental day in our history a little bit.
Prayers for Carl & your family!
Thanks for that, Cris. I was emotional too as I watched Marine One take off. And my six-year-old, out of no where, said, "Mom, I feel sad for President Bush." Sometimes those little ones can be so insightful.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cris. My uncle cooked in the White House for George H.W. Bush. They are good people. I never understood the horrible hatred that was directed toward them (their policies, yes ... but as people?).
ReplyDeleteThat is a beautiful picture. Thank you for sharing.
I couldn't bear to watch, but I *felt* it when they left.
ReplyDeleteI wrote a thank you to him last night at threedoniadotcom, as part of the weekly crankette.
Great photo, but for the life of me I cannot figure out how the Secret Service let you near the President. The hormone meters must have been wailing.
ReplyDeleteLove this! It's so refreshing! I'm trying to pretend that today is not happening.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for saying something so many people aren't willing to right now. I cannot understand all the excitement surrounding President Obama. It baffles me.
ReplyDeleteI didn't watch today, just too sad. *sigh*
I agree, very well said!
ReplyDeleteI'll miss Bush too. Beautiful post and wonderful tribute to both President Bush and your husband. God bless.
ReplyDeleteWell said. Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteThanks for saying what many of us are feeling today in such a beautiful way.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome photo!
ReplyDeleteWhat a refreshing point of view. Thank you for putting it into words.
ReplyDelete"Thanks for saying what many of us are feeling today in such a beautiful way."
ReplyDeleteooh! and if you'd like to read the really ugly, mean-spirited version, I wrote that post at threedonia (sorry for the plugging) tonight. Since June took care of the nice, I thought I'd handle the nasty. ;)
I would like to hear about the photo.
ReplyDeleteI can only assume you were saddened by the chanting by the classy crowd who showed up for Obama. "Hey, Hey Hey goodbye" Typical tacky lefty's.
I didn't cry today but I had a sick feeling to my stomach.
ReplyDeleteGreat tribute....thanks June.
God Bless George, Laura and their daughters! I hope they enjoy their retirement. The Fireflies are very grateful for their many sacrifices and their service to America.
ReplyDeleteAnd what a picture! My goodness! Get that family their own television show! Or at least a cereal box, or somethin'...
This has certainly been an emotional day. I'm an Obama supporter, but I also felt great sadness for the Bush family and was mortified by people's disrespect toward them. Thanks for reminding us of the importance of respecting those we don't necessarily support. We could all learn a lesson from your husband.
ReplyDeleteI think Jess nailed it.
ReplyDeleteI've never been a fan of President Bush - I think he's done some things well and some things very badly, and there are some things I dislike about him. But he was the President, and I tried to always be fair, respectful, and give him the benefit of the doubt wherever possible.
Likewise, I am not particularly a fan of now-President Obama. I am very concerned about some of his stances and proposed policies, and I suspect that over his tenure in office there will some things I will think he did well and respect him for, and other things that I will emphatically not (whether as bad decision or misguided policy). But he is the President, and I am doing my best to be fair, respectful, and to give him the benefit of the doubt.
(It would be easier if the press weren't fawning quite so much. It sets off my counterweight instinct. But that's the press, not the President.)
All that said, I was sickened when I heard about the response when the Bushes left the White House. Just plain classless.
I CRIED TOO and the kids thought I sprung a leak. i hang my bush pics proudly! i too came drom DC back to the midwest [you're in my neck of the woods] after working their for 16 yrs - hard to watch from afar but i hope all of america can rally. Great job "June!"
ReplyDeleteI avoided watching the whole hoopla as much as possible. Some of it, it was hard to escape, but I did my best. And I heard about the Obama supporters giving a "classless" goodbye to Bush, but even I didn't think them capable of "Hey hey hey...goodbye."
ReplyDeleteI guess I was wrong. But then, again, this man did come out of the worst political machine in the country. (And I can say that, being born and raised a Chicago girl. :-))
So I guess nothing, no matter how low or despicable, should have surprised us.
I think the most beautiful thing we could do, as a nation, would be to write thank-yous to President Bush. Fill his mailbox with them. The rabid Bush haters out there will never know what they had until now that they've lost it. And I think history will be way kinder to this man than any of us suspect now--least of all an ill-informed electorate who voted in glitz and charm and glib talk, and will soon find out there's nothing "behind the curtain."
Sadly,
JB
I for one am glad Bush is gone. He will go down in history as one of the worst presidents ever, at least in recent history. (It's too bad, I like his father)
ReplyDeleteHey UGHHH, thanks for leaving your name... I always like to know who I am talking to. I think you are mistaken though-I think you meant to say that today's Congress will go down as the worst ever.
ReplyDeletePresident Bush will one day be looked at as a very successful President. He kept you safe. No one can argue with that.
Amen, June--remember, most of America thanks God we have amazing people in our military keeping us safe. Many prayers for Carl's sucess, safety, and speedy return!
ReplyDeleteJune... I wish your family safety and peace during the next 7 months... thanks to you and Carl for the sacrifice you make on behalf of all of us...
ReplyDeleteAs for the tasteless display at the inauguration, I cannot say I was surprised by the rabble. It has been one tasteless thing after another ever since the election results were announced (and before, too). Someone should have informed pres-elect Obama that we only have one president at a time in our country.
We'll be keeping Carl and all the U.S. servicemen and women in our prayers... Janet.
What an awesome photo. President Bush is the one president that I really would love to meet.
ReplyDeleteThank your husband for serving so hard to keep us safe!
Holy Sh*t! You met him! I'm like freaking out, it's so cool! Dude, is that Air Force One?! Wow!
ReplyDeleteEnough geeking out. Awesome post. I totally agree. He's a great man with character, integrity and humility. As far as I'm concerned this next administration isn't fit to lick his terrorist stompin boots.
My sons & I pray for your husband's safety abroad and are eternally grateful for the sacrifices all military families make for the rest of us.
Spot on! Forgive me, but I'm a Navy wife - still, we're all in this together. Great post and honestly, your family looks smokin' hot in that pic with the Prez. Very nice photo!!! God bless.
ReplyDeleteExcellent Post. Awesome Picture!
ReplyDeleteHi June, I am here from Threedonia. Saw all the June Cleaver banter and had to come see what all the fuss was about.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great picture. One image that sticks with me is President Bush hugging a young girl whose father (I believe) died on 9/11. That's what I will remember about President Bush.
My wife and I loved George and Laura from the get go. Still do. Get choked up just typing this. We have two voicemails on our answering machine that we refuse to delete from the 2004 elections. One from George and one from Laura urging our support for the GOP ticket. We were happy to comply.
The nice thing is that George will now go back to being a citizen. He may write his memoirs, take on a cause for the good of the country or the world, but he will not pimp himself out like past Presidents - and yes I mean Clinton.
Mr_Magoo aka Traffic Cop Timmy, that is.
ReplyDeleteOhmygosh, this made me cry! Thank you for putting into words what I have felt the last two days. What a beautiful picture. Thank you to your husband for his service to our country!
ReplyDeleteTraffic Cop Timmy, Welcome! I always like it when a visitor comes over from Threedonia... just don't tell Tzrupr, he gets a little territorial.
ReplyDelete:)*wink*
I love the picture. I miss him already....Thank you Mr. President. God Bless you.
ReplyDeleteJust got around to reading this. Thanks. Don't worry, we've got W and Laura safe here in Texas.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see how history judges President Bush. I think we only know the half of it. He restored dignity to the white house. Excellent tribute. Obama needs our prayers. God alone is the King of Kings.
ReplyDeleteI too would love to hear about the photo.
I've been enjoying your blog, and now I enjoy it even more. Thank you for speaking up for W!
ReplyDeleteI can't even begin to explain the sadness that I felt that day. I hope the history books get it right, and even if they don't, my children will ALWAYS know that President Bush did what he thought was right for the betterment of our country, and he never wavered from it. I'm glad they're back here, home in Texas. We're happy to have 'em!
ReplyDelete