WASHINGTON, D.C. AND SAVANNAH FOR A SPECIAL CONVERSATION ON
THE LIFE OF PRESIDENT BUSH.
HEY, SAVANNAH.
HEY, SAVANNAH. >> HI, GUYS.
AS I MENTIONED, YESTERDAY
AFTERNOON I GOT THE CHANCE TO
SIT DOWN WITH JENNA AND HER
SISTER, BARBARA, AT BLAIR HOUSE,
THE OFFICIAL GUEST HOUSE AT THE
WHITE HOUSE.
WHITE HOUSE. THAT’S WHERE THE BUSH FAMILY IS
STAYING WHILE THEY’RE HERE IN
WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON. JUST LIKE THEIR GRANDFATHER, THE
GIRLS WERE PILLARS OF STRENGTH
AND ALL-HEART.
AND ALL-HEART. >> I THINK WE’RE BOTH
HEARTBROKEN
HEARTBROKEN HEARTBROKEN.
HEARTBROKEN. WE EXPECTED OUR GRANDFATHER TO
PASS AWAY SOON.
HE WAS 94.
AND YET, IT CAME AS SUCH A
SHOCK.
SHOCK. WE MISS HIM ALREADY VERY MUCH
BECAUSE HE WAS THE CENTER OF OUR
FAMILY.
FAMILY. AND YET, I THINK, I ALSO GET A
LOT OF JOY KNOWING HE’S WITH OUR
GRANDMOTHER NOW.
GRANDMOTHER NOW. >> JENNA, OVER THE YEARS THAT
I’VE KNOWN YOU, YOU COULD BARELY
SPEAK OF YOUR GRANDPARENTS
WITHOUT SHEDDING A TEAR.
HOW ARE YOU DOING?
>> WELL, WE LOVED THEM.
THE TEARS CAME FROM JOY.
THEY GAVE US SUCH UNCONDITIONAL
LOVE.
LOVE. EVEN THOUGH HE HAD THE WEIGHT OF
THE WORLD ON HIS SHOULDERS, WE
NEVER THOUGHT OF HIM AS ANYTHING
BESIDES OUR GRANDPA.
AND THAT JOY THAT WE HAD ON OUR
FACES AS LITTLE GIRLS, IS
BECAUSE HE MADE US FEEL SO
SPECIAL.
SPECIAL. >> Reporter: ON MONDAY, AS THE
SUN SET, THE NATION BEGAN TO BID
FAREWELL TO OUR 41st PRESIDENT,
AS THE BUSH FAMILY LOOKED ON,
NOT JUST FOR A FAMILY IN
MOURNING BUT A CUP,OUNTRY, TOO.
>> THE BEAUTY OF IT IS THAT
STRANGERS STOOD ON THE STREET OF
WASHINGTON, D.C., WATCHING HIS
CASKET GO BY AND SALUTING HIM
AND WAVING.
AND WAVING. THAT FILLS US UP IN OUR SADNESS.
>> Reporter: DO YOU FEEL THE
LOVE AND RESPECT THAT IS BEING
POURED OUT FOR HIM THIS WEEK?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. I’M SHOCKED BY HOW MANY PEOPLE
HAVE SOME MEMORY OF MEETING HIM
SOMEWHERE AND HOW THEY FOUND HIM
FUNNY OR HOW LOVING HE WAS OR
HOW PERSONABLE HE WAS.
THAT’S A WONDERFUL GIFT TO US
THAT WE GET TO HEAR ALL OF THE
THESE OTHER PEOPLE’S STORIES AND
HOW HE TOUCHED THEIR LIVES, AS
WELL.
WELL. >> Reporter: HOW IS YOUR DAD
DOING?
DOING? >> HE’S OKAY.
I THINK HE GETS A LOT OF PEACE
KNOWING MY GRANDFATHER IS WITH
OUR GRANDMOTHER, AND THAT HE WAS
LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING
REUNITED WITH HER.
AND SO, I THINK THAT BRINGS HIM
PEACE.
PEACE. >> Reporter: HE’S WRITING THE
EULOGY.
EULOGY. >> HE’S GIVEN IT TO US.
OF COURSE, BARBARA AND I, WE
NEVER HOLD OUR OPINIONS.
WE’RE LIKE, THAT’S GREAT, BUT
CAN YOU ADD THIS LINE LIKE THIS.
>> Reporter: YOU’RE A TOUGH
CRITIC.
CRITIC. >> WE JUST, YOU KNOW -- HOW CAN
YOU TELL A MAN AS GIANT AS OUR
GRANDPA WAS, HOW MUCH YOU LOVE
HIM?
HIM? IT’S A TALL ORDER.
I THINK IT WILL BE DIFFICULT.
>> I THINK HE WANTS TO MAKE SURE
HE CAN GET THROUGH IT HIMSELF
WITHOUT -- YOU KNOW, HE LOST HIS
FATHER AND IS DEVASTATED.
SO, TO BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH
THE EULOGY WITHOUT BREAKING DOWN
IS SOMETHING ELSE HE’S WORKING
ON.
ON. >> Reporter: IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU
ALL HAD SOME VERY PRECIOUS TIME
WITH HIM, PARTICULARLY THIS
SUMMER.
SUMMER. >> WE DIDN’T TAKE IT FOR
GRANTED.
GRANTED. WE KNEW, MOST LIKELY, THIS WAS
GOING TO BE HIS LAST SUMMER.
WE ALL KNEW THAT.
AND ONE OF MY FAVORITE MEMORIES
WERE MY LITTLE GIRLS SINGING
"JESUS LOVES ME" AND WATCHING MY
GRANDPA SING IT.
AND EVERY DAY, MILA AND POPOPPY,
LET’S GIVE GRAMPY A HUG.
AND I SAID, I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS
IS RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
AND SHE SAID, OF COURSE IT IS
RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
GAMPY HAD TO GET TO GRANNY TO
HELP WITH THE CHRISTMAS TREE.
THEY HAVEN’T BEEN APART.
AND SHE PROBABLY WAS, COME ON,
TIME TO COME HOME.
>> Reporter: WAS HE REFLECTIVE?
DID HE TALK ABOUT, JUST KNOWING
THAT HIS LIFE WAS COMING TO A
CLOSE?
CLOSE? >> HE WAS REFLECTIVE ABOUT MY
GRANDMOTHER.
GRANDMOTHER. I ASKED HIM IF HIS HEART WAS
BROKEN.
BROKEN. AND HE SAID YES.
AND HE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, DO
YOU THINK IT WILL FEEL WORSE
THAN THIS?
THAN THIS? AND IT REALLY GOT ME.
OF COURSE HIS HEART WAS BROKEN,
HE HAD LOST THE LOVE OF HIS
LIFE.
LIFE. AND YET, WHEN YOU ASKED HIM HOW
HE WAS DOING, HE WOULD SAY, I
COULDN’T BE BETTER.
I THINK INSTEAD OF TALKING ABOUT
HIS TIME BEING LIMITED, HE LIVED
AS MUCH AS HE COULD.
>> Reporter: THAT INCLUDED
WATCHING BARBARA GET MARRIED
JUST WEEKS AGO, AT THEIR
LONG-TIME SUMMER HOME IN
KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE.
KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE. >> WE DECIDED TO GET MARRIED
QUICKLY SO MY GRANDFATHER COULD
BE WITH US.
HE GOT DRESSED EARLY AND CAME
DOWNSTAIRS EARLY BEFORE THE
WEDDING, SO HE COULD SEE ME IN
MY WEDDING DRESS BEFORE WE GOT
MARRIED.
MARRIED. >> Reporter: WHAT DID HE SAY
WHEN HE SAW YOU?
>> ONE OF THE LAST THINGS HE
SAID TO ME WAS, THAT I NEVER
LOOKED SO BEAUTIFUL.
>> Reporter: A BEAUTIFUL MOMENT
TO CHERISH OF A LIFE WELL LIVED.
WELL, THE GIRLS HAVE SO MANY
MEMORIES.
MEMORIES. IN OUR NEXT HOUR, THEY’LL SHARE
MORE OF THEM.
AND THE FACT THEY HAVE SO MANY
MEMORIES SPEAKS TO HOW MUCH TIME
THEIR GRANDFATHER GAVE THEM.
HE HAD THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD
ON HIS SHOULDERS AND THEY
THOUGHT HE WAS THEIR
GRANDFATHER.
GRANDFATHER. >> TALKING ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS
TREE AND THAT IMAGERY.
WE’RE SO CLOSE TO JENNA AND
SEEING HER HEART OUT THERE.
BUT TO WATCH BARBARA, THAT WAS
BEAUTIFUL.
BEAUTIFUL. >> I WAS GOING TO SAY, BARBARA
HAD A LOT OF SPECIAL ONE OF ONE-
TIME WITH HER GRANDFATHER, WHICH
SHE TALKS ABOUT.
>> PASS ALONG OUR LOVE.
>> I WILL.
I WILL.
I WILL. BY THE WAY, JENNA WILL HAVE MORE
IN AN HOUR-LONG TRIBUTE.
WE’RE CALLING IT "A LOVE LETTER
TO GAMPY."
TO GAMPY." IT’S SATURDAY NIGHT, 8:00, 7:00