Brought To Tears
I saw this yesterday on the Today show and I have to admit I cried like a baby. This is one of the most moving videos I’ve seen in a long time and I’ve spent the last 24 hours scouring the internet to find a copy to share with you.
In this video Barbara and Jenna Bush read the letter they wrote for the Obama girls.
Sometimes I worry about my kids growing up in the church. Will they be impacted by all the eyes watching them in the fishbowl? Will they be damaged by the harsh words of criticism they hear about their father from time to time?
This video reminds me I will not always be able to protect them from such things, but the most important thing I can do is ignore it and focus on being a great dad.
The video also reminds me while it’s so easy to point fingers of blame at people who serve publicly, they are in fact all human. They may be presidents, actors, CEOs, pastors, authors, personalities, and politicians… but they are also human. Fallible, broken, but striving to be better….human.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKaTXETM0wM&hl=en&fs=1]
57 Comments:
Starting my Saturday with eyes full of tears. Thanks alot!
I wonder often about how hurtful it must be for the families of these men (and women) who are constantly criticised and mocked publicly.
I’m glad to hear their voices telling their thoughts.
Beautiful.
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SHerri
9:43 am
Wow! Really great video. Thanks for sharing, you seem to always find the great stories
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ncarnes
9:52 am
I saw this yesterday also and was moved to tears. My kids grew up in a fishbowl in these parts, with their dad on TV for their entire life. They went though ages, stages, and seasons, but in the end, they are simply very proud and feel a lot of respcet for their dad who indeed was criticized, heckled, but maintained the high road the entire time, always turning the other cheek. I don’t think it’s WHAT happens to Dad so much, but the graceful and respectful way he handled it.
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Candy
9:53 am
oh dude… thanks for that… now i’m crying. shoot
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dave carrol
9:58 am
yeah…crying here too….thanks Pete!
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Gina
10:04 am
Class. Real Class.
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Faye
10:09 am
Pete Again you are listening to our Heavenly Dad and he is taken you places for his glory. You have touch hearts & lifes and What an honor it is to know you and call you a great friend Thank you for the video and yes I am in tears also.
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Andy Depuy
10:11 am
read Catalyst and Cornhole first and laughed like crazy- now I’m crying… great video, thanks for sharing it!
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Pam
10:17 am
I saw this yesterday too. Tears were shed. What a beautiful letter….
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Marcia Ramirez
10:22 am
Wow, that got me too. And I don’t cry easy! At the end of the day, we all need a Daddy, regardless of who we have to share him with or what other people may think of him
x
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Beautiful Intellectual
10:28 am
I saw this yesterday also and cried as well. Although I don’t agree wtih most of the president’s policies I watched the inauguartion with interest and all the coverage from that day. Two things have struck me since then. This piece of the Bush twins reading their letter to the Obama children and also one of the photos captured from Tuesday of Michelle Obama while she was holding the bible as he took the oath of office. How proud she was of him was very evident on her face and not in a smug way, but in a way that you could tell just how much she loves him.
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Amy N.
10:29 am
I saw this, this mnorning on the Saturday today show. Cried. The role of “daddy” in my opinion, will always be more important than any other fancy title.
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melissa irwin
10:29 am
Yup – saw on the Today show…facebook postings….emails, etc. I’m so happy to see something so POSITIVE and UPLIFTING taking a wildfire effect through our media – such a refreshing change!!
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Paula
10:36 am
I saw this on the Today show and it brought me to tears also. It also made me think about the amount of respect, class and family pride that these beautiful Bush girls were raised with. Some may not approve of his wrk in the White House but there is no denying his love and action as a father.
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Theresa
10:57 am
Thanks Pete for the video it was an awesome display of grace and class. I can’t help but wonder how many of your bloggers would say the same thing about Chelsey Clinton, or Amy Carter or Caroline Kennedy.
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JLo
11:53 am
absolutely beautiful!
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taylor
11:55 am
Bush’s daughters showed a level of maturity that so impressed me. That they would think to do this as their own father leaves the White House – shows their unconditional love and respect. I have a new level of respect for the former First Family. I was very touched by the letter they wrote. Wow.
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Vicki
12:05 pm
“The video also reminds me while it’s so easy to point fingers of blame at people who serve publicly, they are in fact all human. They may be presidents, actors, CEOs, pastors, authors, personalities, and politicians… but they are also human. Fallible, broken, but striving to be better….human.”
I read yesterday an article on Ted Haggard, two years now post-’fall’. About how Christians have treated him. Being reduced to selling insurance, and how he had to live during the last two years, going from motel to motel with his family because he was banished from Colorado. How Christians treated him – just when he needed to be loved on, not banished as they did he and his family. I see this over and over again. Brad Johnson. Ted Haggard. Where does it say in the Bible to treat others like this? I pray that we do a better job with fellow humans, fellow brothers and sisters, when we ‘fall’ because we are human beings, and are sinners. We all fall short – every day. Everybody. Why is it that we Christians cannot love unconditionally?
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Vicki
12:14 pm
Beautiful – love this.
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Kayla Grace
12:22 pm
This is really cool. It gives me a gliompse of what I’m sure we all wonder about at some point…what would it REALLY be like to have your dad (or mom!) be the President of the United States? I like the picture of her sticking her tongue out…talk about human. That one picture summarizes the message of entire video: When things start getting serious, sometimes it’s best to not be.
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Bill Renfrew
12:47 pm
Thank you for sharing this.
Leslie
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My Twenty Cents Keeps Moving
12:50 pm
Amazing
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Marcus Hackler
12:56 pm
@Vicki, very true.
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Pete Wilson
1:02 pm
I saw it too and I thought I wonder how many people who thought Bush was bad would change their mind even a little bit after seeing this. I honestly think these girls and many children are a reflection of how they are raised…but more important at how they have been loved well. Thanks for posting. I cried too!
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bridget
1:43 pm
Beautiful piece. I had not seen that and thank you for posting it.
@Jlo, wow, you made alot of assumptions in that last statement of yours.
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Patty V.
1:44 pm
@JLo: While I admittedly don’t know much about Amy Carter, I think Chelsea and Caroline have lived their lives with an incredible amount of grace. They just didn’t make us a video telling us about it.
I saw this yesterday and was so moved, and have been moved with the kindness on both sides… the genuine little gifts and notes I’ve heard about each first family giving each other, not because of tradition but because of kindness, has been a lovely example of doing it right. It helps me remember that it is the little kindness that can make sure a big difference.
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gitz
1:53 pm
Pete…once again thank you for your post. The video along with your post was very thought provoking and moving. Thank you for always being willing to share.
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Kara
2:05 pm
i saw that video on oprah (she got it from the today show). i cried like a baby, too. and, later, when i showed it to my husband, i cried like a baby again!
the thing that got me most was when they said their father (president bush) is a man of integrity. and how, although everyone wants to judge, no one really knows who he is. sounds like he did a great job fathering jenna & barbara. and i have every confidence that president obama will do the same.
it was a very special thing for the bush girls to do…
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rachel white
2:17 pm
The piano gilded the lily. Nice ad.
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Ron Edwins
3:13 pm
Thanks
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eva uLian
3:17 pm
Here, here: http://contactfront.wordpress.com/2009/01/21/my-imperfect-commander-in-chief/
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Jody
3:22 pm
Thanks for sharing the vid. I had heard about it and wanted to see it. What a beautiful moment of encouragement and perspective they passed along. Also, thanks for sharing your thoughts. We often forget that people in positions of leadership are human and many times facing and dealing with similar struggles or more. Hopefully we are all striving to be all that God desires and to live a life worthy of HIS calling. Blessings to you and your family as you serve in ministry. OH, and you are a shining LIGHT in the world of twittering.
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Embracing Life, Peggy
3:25 pm
Yes. This gesture by the Bush girls was absolutely priceless. Says alot about what kind of people they are. I was also so moved when I listened to it this morning.
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Rachel
4:08 pm
Now, I’m crying…I love the Bush family.
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Jamie
4:21 pm
Thank you glitz for your brilliant thoughts. Your words and insight are just the image I believe Jesus calls us to. You are truly a woman of Christ
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JLo
5:14 pm
@JLo, I’ll second that.
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Pete Wilson
5:44 pm
lol at you sheeple.
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notfo oled
10:14 pm
Finally…thank you.
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Julia
11:08 pm
Sorry, but, this is really quite contrite. I have two daughters myself, I love them more than they will ever know. But this video? This is so over the top cheeziness it makes me wanna throw a shoe. Or, at least throw up in one.
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Nike
12:51 am
Touching.
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andreschneider
4:55 am
This has to be a joke video right? Who can feel any emotion for such a useless bunch of people as the Bush clan. They have ruined lives, got rich off it and are more stupid than Scientology.
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leighb
5:12 am
GREAT! Thanks a Lot. Draupadi.
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draupadi16
5:17 am
This makes me an evil man, this i know, but I keep hearing how beautiful that letter was and then I keep thinking about all of the innocent lives lost on their daddy’s watch. I do feel bad for feeling this way, but sometimes you cannot scrub that kind of sin away.
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N76
5:19 am
Pete and Brandi,
Daniel and I don’t have children (yet) but I watch and pay attention to you both via your blogs and hopefully someday soon we will be able to meet in person…and I am in awe of the love, dignity and grace you live your days and parent your boys. So thank you for that and as people (and partners in ministry) thank you for serving in such a public way as to be examples to all of us and to be Godly reminders of how to love our families. Seriously, I am in awe.
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kristiapplesauce
9:01 am
Thanks for sharing that! I heard about this letter, but haven’t heard it. Very thoughtful.
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Kendra
4:43 pm
Moving. I had no idea that the letter was so poweful.
It’s nice they even mention taking care of and loving
the dogs !!! Very well thought out, and sincere.
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Daniel's Critical Corner
6:30 pm
Wow…I just posted this on my blog also. Great minds think alike
I loved this video and like you was nearly in tears. I think ole George was very proud of his girls!
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Joseph
8:13 pm
I watched that too on the Today show and what a moving letter they wrote. I cried like a baby.
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Michelle
10:00 pm
That video made me cry as well when I saw it the other day. Thanks for sharing! It’s a wonderful message of love and family.
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Janice
10:07 pm
That was great!!
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Jenn
10:50 pm
Beautiful… It proves what we already know “we do have different faces for different places”.
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mysoul
10:23 am
absolutely beautiful.
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jasonS
11:35 am
That was fabulous! Thank you for sharing!
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Lorie
12:07 am
Isn’t this the cunt who broke the world?
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leighb
6:41 am
I would like to retract that last comment as it was an ignorant colleague who had temporary access to my PC.
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leighb
6:44 am
This is great. I almost needed a tissue myself.
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Ron Roark
2:08 pm
Loved your insight!! For once someone got everything correct!! Would you mind if I put a blogroll link back to your post?
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Pets Video
9:04 pm