I had been putting off reading Jenna Bush Hager’s recent book, Everything Beautiful in Its Time,
because I thought it might be a little too squishy for my taste. I could also see others not picking it
up because they are worried it might be too political. It turns out it’s not political and it’s only a little
squishy.
Jenna Bush Hager gives a heartwarming tribute to her family members—especially her
grandparents—in this lovely little book. It had me thinking about the importance of family legacies
and how Jenna’s family formed such close bonds with each other over distance and time. I realize it
doesn’t hurt to have a huge compound like Kennebunkport at which to gather together, but I think
it’s more than that for this family. They value their relationships and put real time into
them—despite being a busy political family—and the results are inspiring.
Some of my favorite anecdotes from the book involve her stoic grandmother, former First Lady
Barbara Bush. Her bluntness reminds me of my grandmother and that endeared me to her even
more. I also loved revelations on her relationship with her father, former President George W. Bush.
Seeing him through Jenna’s eyes was enjoyable and adds to my belief of his being a good person and
father. Even if you don’t agree with George W. Bush’s politics, you still might enjoy the book for its
other charms.
After reading the book, I will definitely put more thought into how I form and nurture relationships
with my posterity, so they will feel close to me. My one complaint about the book was the pet names
Jenna has for both sets of grandparents got annoying after a while. Aside from that personal pet
peeve, I’m glad I finally picked up the book. It was an enjoyable tribute to the importance of
family—even if yours isn’t quite as famous as the Bushes.
