A DAY IN THE LIFE OF PRESIDENT BUSH (PHOTOS): 3.10.04

yahoo, whitehouse.gov ^ | March 10, 2004 | GretchenEE

[Fawnn]

I wanna be a psychological counselor. I'm leaning towards children's counseling. The religion major was meant as sort of a mind-opener so that I understand where other people are coming from....

Give me a chance to brag about my daughter for a bit; you'll eventually see the relevance.

Because her father reneged on the financial support he was to provide for college, my daughter switched from her intention to enter college as a music major and instead spent her first two years of college as a math major. (She suffered because of my lousy decision to receive greatly reduced child support from the time she was 4 until she went to college in exchange for the promise he'd pay for her college. We could have taken him to court, but he was ill by this time and my daughter didn't want to "mess with it." This was 1989; he died from that illness in 1993. However, during all that time, he continued to send his sons by his second marriage to private schools, continued his country club memberships, etc. Had to get that off my chest because I'm more bitter about all this than my daughter ever was.) ;)

Continuing with my story that will eventually get to the point of this story: She'd worked as a nursing aide at a nursing home her last year of HS, so in addition to transferring to another nursing home close to the college, she could also work as a tutor in the math lab. At that point she was also contemplating a pre-med or a psychology/counseling major, but opted for the math major because she was advised of a better potential for the math lab job eventually. She weighed the options of modifying her major later.

She made good choices, because after only being at college for a few weeks, my husband died, which made a dramatic difference in the amount of financial help I was able to provide.

Once she'd completed her first two years of college, I was now ill and beyond still providing her with her car and insurance, I wasn't able to provide much financial support either. So, she made the decision to take a year-long LPN course because it would almost double her income at her nursing home job.

By the time she'd earned her LPN, she was in love and started weighing the advanced degree commitments that a counseling or medical degree would require versus her desire to get married and start a family. So, she worked as an LPN as she got her BSN -- an RN with a bachelor's degree.

Throughout all this, my daughter has taught me so much. A month before beginning college, rather than mourn the loss of her dream to be a music teacher, she surveyed her other interests and abilities, and made her choices accordingly.

So, now in addition to raising three kids (and a husband), she works as a nurse, teaches a Sunday school class, volunteers at her children's elementary school, and occasionally plays piano at church. As for her other interests and skills, she's still trying to decide whether she'll pursue a Masters of Divinity degree or a Masters in Religious Counseling. Whatever choice she makes about future plans, I'm confident she'll make a wise choice.

In the meantime, she may be getting some counseling experience: She was one of the technical editors and wrote the introduction for my diabetes cookbook. Next Friday, she'll be interviewing for a position as diabetes counselor at the hospital where she now works. That position would give her more family friendly work hours, so I'm praying that it works out for her. (There'd be a downside for me though: Right now we get to take advantage of her cell phone free calling time as she drives home from work late at night. Besides, I'm sure she'll still call her mom a lot.) ;)

In addition to getting the chance to brag about my daughter, I guess my final point is that I know why my daughter remained responsible during her college years. I always gave more credit to the work ethic that kept her working towards her goal. I think the one thing that you and the other students we have visiting the Dose (directly and via reports from their parents) have taught me is that a lifelong values foundation is every bit as important as the financial support. (I still have trouble getting past the guilt that I wasn't able to provide both, but I guess I can at least celebrate the fact that I evidently did do some things right.)

[Fawnn]

Clinton had "guests" jumping on the beds and "sold" reservations for the Lincoln bedroom, LBJ practically locked his brother in a White House guest room during his presidency to ensure his brother wasn't out in the world embarrassing him, etc. etc. etc. -- and they're complaining that W's mother-in-law visits the family at the White House? (The lengths they'll go to create a scandal knows no bounds, does it? Don't even get me started on the Kitty Kelly book!)

[Fawnn]

Comforting news about your brother! Good news that it isn't cancer!!! Prayers for dealing with the infection, the surgery, and his successful recovery from it all....

[W04Man]

Baby Bump! nice photo, wish that were my grandson in his arms.

http://W-04.com

[Bahbah]

Prayers that all turns out well.

[Reader of news]

Thank you for the photos. They're great.
9/11 was 2.5 years ago. A terrorrist attack was done in Madrid by terrorrist band ETA. There are 170 or more dead people. God bless victims of all the terrorrist attacks.

[Reader of news]

Thank you for the photos. They're great.
9/11 was 2.5 years ago. A terrorrist attack was done in Madrid by terrorrist band ETA. There are 170 or more dead people. God bless victims of all the terrorrist attacks.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Thanks so much Lady Fawnn...
I am very relieved!!
Ms.B

[SevenofNine]

Yeah what up with critizing Dubya for invitating his mother in law Jenna Welch to crash at People crib


Even my dad told me listen Libs are getting tick off i rather had Dubya motheer in law crash at Lincoln Bedroom some Hollywood hos like Barbara Streindard and CHienese secret agents

DADDD

[GretchenEE]

Harry Truman's ubiquitous mother-in-law lived with her son-in-law and daughter at the White House for long periods of time (she was a case, IMO, and the only way Harry could get Bess to marry him was to agree to live in her mother's home; they never had a home of their own till Bess' mom died).

[elder5]

I love this site! Im a new member from the Peoples Repubilc of Washington State. I stumbled across your Photo site and posted many of the Photos Of President Bush at the Daytona 500 on some Stockcar sites that Im a member of.

Keep up the good work!

elder5(Ed)

[homemom]

I think it's wonderful that you are studying religion as well as philosophy! So many counselors have a "world view" and that affects their counseling ability. We need Christian counselors!

When my husb. and I were going thru a really bad time a few years ago we went to a Christian counselor. He told us at our first session that a "regular" counselor would probably recommend divorce, but that he believed in trying to SAVE marriages. In our case, he did! But it's very scary to think of what might have happened had we picked someone different! It was work, hard work, to repair our marriage, but certainly worth it.

There are so many counselors out there just to make their bucks and that just makes me sick. With your religion background, also, you will have a lot to offer your future patients!

[homemom]

Hi Ms.B--

Great news about your brother--NOT that he's going to need more surgery, of course, but that it's something curable!!! Thank God, and prayers for a very speedy and uneventful recovery.

[homemom]

Fawnn,

I think you did a wonderful job with your daughter! Not just because she's an RN with her BSN (like I am!) but because she got thru college on her own. I think sometimes too much help from parents is very crippling. I earned my way thru college by working and with scholarships and grants and plenty of loans, and my education means a lot to me even tho I'm not using it in the traditional way.

IMHO providing kids with a good moral foundation is much more important than financial support.

Sounds like your daughter is a wonderful mom and wife and daughter!

[ODC-GIRL]

My husband had one of those cysts on his tailbone many years ago. It was removed twice but kept coming back. The last time they removed it, they left it "open" to heal. Never came back.

[4integrity]

You'll be in my prayers and thoughts, Gretchen. Thanks for the wonderful pics of our great President.

[4integrity]

.....our President charms people .......

And, it just comes naturally because he's so down to earth. He doesn't have to change into someone else when he meets the people of America. He's fantastic! I just love this man...

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Thanks so much!
He's bumbling and grumbling, but he will be okay!
Don't get me wrong, he is very grateful, and very uncomfortable!
:-)
Ms.B

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Hi ODC-Girl
I hope it doesn't come back for his sake!
We are so grateful it was nothing more serious than that!
Ms.B