--- title: Here Are Some of Barbara Bush's Most Memorable Quotes description: Barbara Bush, who passed away at the age of 92, was widely known for her down-to earth wit and remarkable dedication to family canonical: https://time.com/5244413/barbara-bush-most-memorable-quotes/ author: Casey Quackenbush article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-04-18T06:40:31.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-12T09:06:36.554Z article:section: Politics og:title: Read Some of Barbara Bush's Most Memorable Quotes og:description: The former First Lady was known for her strength and dedication to family og:url: https://time.com/5244413/barbara-bush-most-memorable-quotes/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt52a870a30d9a4c11/69892df24ee2622254311867/ap18105665479157.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4896 og:image:height: 2754 og:image:alt: Barbara Bush og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Read Some of Barbara Bush's Most Memorable Quotes twitter:description: The former First Lady was known for her strength and dedication to family twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt52a870a30d9a4c11/69892df24ee2622254311867/ap18105665479157.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # On Family, Giving and Life in Politics: Here Are Some of Barbara Bush's Most Memorable Quotes > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=204a1d3f-1827-4c7f-b077-0490e9a76470&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Barbara Bush's Jokes on Her Age and Remarks on Her Husband and Sons, Resting Place and Donald Trump [Watch (HLS stream): Barbara Bush's Jokes on Her Age and Remarks on Her Husband and Sons, Resting Place and Donald Trump](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ohQfg8Mo.m3u8) (2:55)  _Published 2018-04-18. Barbara Bush's Jokes on Her Age and Remarks on Her Husband and Sons, Resting Place and Donald Trump_ by [Casey Quackenbush](https://time.com/author/casey-quackenbush/) ## Casey Quackenbush Apr 18, 2018 6:40 AM UTC Barbara Bush's Jokes on Her Age and Remarks on Her Husband and Sons, Resting Place and Donald Trump by [Casey Quackenbush](https://time.com/author/casey-quackenbush/) ## Casey Quackenbush Apr 18, 2018 6:40 AM UTC Barbara Bush, the beloved former First Lady who [passed away on Tuesday ](http://time.com/5244196/former-first-lady-barbara-bush-dies-92/)at the age of 92, was not one to mince her words. She was widely known not just for her down-to earth wit but also her remarkable dedication to family — her five children nicknamed her “[The Enforcer](https://www.instagram.com/p/Bhsb6UrhKt5/?utm%5Fsource=ig%5Fembed)“. As the only other woman to have been both the wife and mother of U.S. presidents since Abigail Adams, the Bush matriarch cultivated a rich outlook on life. Here are some of her most memorable pieces of wisdom on family, life in politics, and the act of giving. ## On life In her[ commencement address](http://time.com/5244232/barbara-bush-death-wellesley-commencement-speech/) at Wellesley College on June 1, 1990, Bush told the graduating class: “At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent.” ## On success “Never [lose sight](https://books.google.com.hk/books?id=91jMknD8oxQC&pg=PA173&lpg=PA173&dq=%22Never+lose+sight+of+the+fact+that+the+most+important+yardstick+of+your+success+will+be+how+you+treat+other+people+%E2%80%94+your+family,+friends,+and+coworkers,+and+even+strangers+you+meet+along+the+way.%22&source=bl&ots=0yahcPgTxJ&sig=ghk2XV3aIdRVRbq1Zsta%5FkcUJYA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj-j%5F2mlcPaAhUHmeAKHbyAAVoQ6AEIVDAL#v=onepage&q=%22Never%20lose%20sight%20of%20the%20fact%20that%20the%20most%20important%20yardstick%20of%20your%20success%20will%20be%20how%20you%20treat%20other%20people%20%E2%80%94%20your%20family%2C%20friends%2C%20and%20coworkers%2C%20and%20even%20strangers%20you%20meet%20along%20the%20way.%22&f=false) of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people — your family, friends, and coworkers, and even strangers you meet along the way,” Bush is attributed as saying. ## On giving “Some people give time, some money, some their skills and connections, some literally give their life’s blood. But everyone has something to give,” she [once said](https://books.google.com.hk/books?id=v%5FV-BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA43&lpg=PA43&dq=%22Some+people+give+time,+some+money,+some+their+skills+and+connections,+some+literally+give+their+life's+blood.+But+everyone+has+something+to+give,%22&source=bl&ots=GfyOy-wMrf&sig=vwg60S8qs0tYyZ4LNRBVgOgAc50&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwixyuLiqcPaAhUmWN8KHXx8AWAQ6AEIWDAN#v=onepage&q=%22Some%20people%20give%20time%2C%20some%20money%2C%20some%20their%20skills%20and%20connections%2C%20some%20literally%20give%20their%20life's%20blood.%20But%20everyone%20has%20something%20to%20give%2C%22&f=false). ## On life in the White House From Bush’s 1994 [autobiography](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/2018/04/17/280023/quotations-from-autobiography-barbara-bush-a-memoir/), _Barbara Bush: A Memoir_: “A question I’m asked all the time: Did anyone tell you what to do, or give you any guidelines, when your husband was in government? The answer is no. Certainly I was given advice on protocol, and occasionally on what to wear or not to wear, but, for the most part, I just depended on the manners my mother taught me.” ## On presidential power “You may think the president is all powerful, but he is not. He needs a lot of guidance from the Lord.” — Bush said to an audience at the Church of the Immaculate Conception elementary school in January, 1991 in the run up to the conflict in the Persian Gulf while her husband, George H.W. Bush, was president, the Washington _Post_ [reports](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1991/01/08/president-bush-and-the-power-of-prayer/326dd88d-3556-45dd-90dc-6e0a1a3b02e7/?utm%5Fterm=.66152fb1f915). ## On her son Jeb running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 “There are other people out there that are very qualified and we’ve had enough Bushes.” —Said Bush to Matt Lauer on the [Today Show](https://www.today.com/news/barbara-bush-jeb-run-weve-had-enough-bushes-white-house-6C9602466) on April 25, 2013. ## On human potential “If human beings are perceived as potentials rather than problems, as possessing strengths instead of weaknesses, as unlimited rather that dull and unresponsive, then they thrive and grow to their capabilities.” —From Bush’s [biography page](https://www.bush41.org/bush/barbara-biography) on the George H.W. Presidential Library ## On family Toward the end of her commencement Wellesley address on June 1, 1990, during her early days as First Lady, Bush [told](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1990/06/02/text-of-mrs-bushs-speech/9bbad512-c429-445b-957c-605477561c03/?utm%5Fterm=.1d4ff1d52209) the graduating class: “You must read to your children and you must hug your children and you must love your children. Your success as a family, our success as a society, depends not on what happens in the White House, but on what happens inside your house.” ## On opposition to her own ideas “No big deal. Even I was 20 once.” > [](https://twitter.com/TexasTribune/status/986409349093494785) ## Transcript The press who asked why this president hadn't got off to a quicker start. That's not the way it works. He doesn't react. He doesn't make a move. He's a thoughtful, considerate, brilliant, beautiful, glorious man. [ LAUGH ] Not to be maudeline, but do you know where your resting place will be? You bet, and I'd be glad to show it to you. Where is it? It's at College Station. It's the prettiest place you ever saw. Yeah, our daughters already buried there. The one that died. How old was she? Almost four. Almost fifty- some years ago. And she's there, her little stone. And you'll be buried together there? Yeah. What it is like, Barbara, to be The mother of a president? Well, it's worrisome, cuz you worry about responsibilities. Having said that, it's not very much different from the other children. We were in Washington last week, and I got there before George. And Laura was overseas. And it really touched me, the President came out and met me at the door. I would feel the same way if Dario stopped working or Marvin stopped working, came out of the building, I really loved it. It's not that much different, do you think? No. Except the huge-- Calls mom? Lots. Calls mom and dad, to see how we're feeling. Is it cold up there? Or Tells us what he's going to do. We ask what you gonna do today- Yeah. Or was it hard going to- Checks in early in the morning. I'm passionate about every child needs to learn to read and write and understand. This is ridiculous. [ LAUGH ] All these pretty girls here in pretty dresses and you do me? I wonder if I'm so old, I'm the only one in the room who really knew Audrey Hepburn. [ LAUGH ] Cuz I did. And what a beautiful woman she was and what she did for children is amazing. Thank you very very much, it was a great honor for me to be here and now because I am 90 I'm going to go home. [ LAUGH ] So remember The campaign is just starting and I want them to know that Jeb, is the finest man almost I know. He's very much same values of service that his father has, and his brothers and his sisters and may be his old lady. That's you. Me. [ LAUGH ] You're not my old lady. You dodged me on Donald Trump. Do you wanna-- Nope. You wanna go full New Jersey on Donald Trump? No. I do not. I don't even think about him. I'm sick of him. 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