Jenna Bush Hager broke down in tears as she recalled advice her late grandfather, former President George H.W. Bush, gave her before he died.
Busy “Today it’s Hoda and Jenna.” On Wednesday, Bush Hager and co-host Hoda Kotb discussed the life of fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg and the upcoming Hulu documentary about her life.
As the pair spoke about living life to the fullest, Bush Hager shared some wisdom he inherited from his late grandfather before he passed away in 2018 at the age of 94.
“I remember this night I spent with my grandpa. He could barely speak and I was sitting between him and he leaned over to me and said, ‘Don’t forget to enjoy the game,'” she said.
“It was at the end of his life and the beginning of mine, and I’ll never forget the man who’d done it all saying, ‘Don’t forget to get involved,’ have fun, get involved,” she added, overcome with emotion. “That’s kind of what I want to say to all of us.”
While she acknowledged that it’s often difficult to stop and smell the roses, she stressed that it’s important for everyone to make the effort to take a break and enjoy the moment.
“It’s hard along the way, you know? There are boring moments, but I think what we have to do is that the boredom is the beauty of it,” she said.
Kotb agreed with the former president, adding, “You’re right, but his advice is great, because at the end you always wonder, what are you saying? What are you saying at the end, after you’ve lived your life? That’s what it was all about.”
Bush Hager also revealed that her grandfather would often write about how special time he spent with his family was to him.
“He used to write us such beautiful letters when he was in his 70s and 80s. He wrote about being together, about wanting nothing more than for us to come home, about what brought him the most joy – being surrounded by his grandchildren and family,” she said, tearfully.
Bush served two terms as vice president under President Ronald Reagan and then led the country as the 41st president of the United States from 1989 to 1993.
Bush, a World War II hero, a distinguished public servant and the head of an American political dynasty, died on November 30, 2018.
