A tribute to a former First Lady

Long ago in a windswept desert,
a man named Moses
encountered a bush.
It was far from an ordinary one.
It was aflame with meaning.

What Moses saw and heard
conveyed a Divine Presence.
Because he was on sacred soil,
he took off his shoes.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
But he was not alone.

We, too, have encountered an extraordinary Bush.
Her name was Barbara.
And like that bush of old,
she was ablaze with life.
This President’s wife
and President’s mother
was a source of both warmth and light.
Wherever she stood was holy ground.

To be in her presence was a source of amazement.
In a political wasteland,
Barbara Bush was a thing of beauty.
In the barren desert of disunity,
she was a welcomed oasis.
Her candid comments were a refreshing contrast
to a plethora of image-conscious
crowd-pleasers’
politically-correct sound bytes.

Our former First Lady was second to none
when it came to modeling discernment and dignity.
She heard the people’s hearts
while clearly speaking her mind.

Today Barbara heard a Robin sing
(and a life companion cry)
as the gates of Heaven opened
to welcome her home.

Peace to her memory!

*In May 1985 Barbara Bush walked by my wife and me looking our way as we sat in Edman Chapel at Wheaton College in suburban Chicago waiting to hear her husband deliver the commencement address.