Let's Celebrate the Bush Marriage: Anniversary Tribute

In the past years, the children and youth of America have been bombarded by an increasing number of sexual images and ideas not only in entertainment, but also in advertising and public discourse. The moral depravity of Bill Clinton's behavior has exacerbated the situation so much so that younger and younger children are now experimenting with sex. There has been an alarming increase in the number of cases of oral STD's among 12 and 13 year olds, and these same children when asked, thanks to the example of Clinton, say that they have not had sex. Public discussion has coarsened significantly, so that we hear about oral sex and cigars, and yet we still hear very little about the right kind of sex, that is within marriage.

And now onto the stage walk the honor and dignity of George and Laura Bush, who have a marriage that is obviously filled with love, affection, and vibrancy, and who have chosen the path of morality and fidelity to each other. They are clearly the role models that our youth so desperately need in this sordid world. Kids now know all the details about sex, but most of them have no clue as to its depth and meaning. They see sexual experiences on the screen 99% of which involve unmarried people. They believe that it is unmarried sex which is the norm, even though statistics prove that it is happily married couples who have the most satisfying and most frequent sex , (and when the spiritual dimension is added, it truly becomes what God created it to be).

I may be climbing out onto a limb here, but I believe that we as parents and teachers, and as Christians, have an opportunity to help guide our kids toward the path of morality by using the First Couple as a positive example, not only because of their character, but because of their strong and loving marriage. Bill Bennett, compiler of the Book of Virtues, said in his evaluation of Bush's first 100 days that it was refreshing to have a President who kisses his wife goodnight, and then goes to bed with her!!

Perhaps we, who believe strongly in Biblical morality should be more vocal about married love of this kind. Scripture is obviously not shy in its discussion of the pleasures of sex within marriage, and perhaps we shouldn't be either. I believe we should be celebrating the marriage of George and Laura Bush as an example of what out kids should have as the goal, and not be afraid to tell them why.

I posted this article in April, and in honor of President and Mrs. Bush’s 24th wedding anniversary on Monday, November 5th, decided to repost it with some added thoughts based on observations made in the past few months.

Since September 11 our world has changed dramatically, as have the lives and roles of the President and First Lady. Objective observers, and even those who were previously critical of George W. Bush have been amazed by the stability and strength he has shown in time of deep crisis. The obvious and primary answer to where this strength and character come from is his deep and enduring faith in God, and in his Savior, Jesus Christ. Another important contributor to his stability is his having been raised with unconditional love in a stable family, where he was nurtured by two loving parents, encouraged to do his best, and to be comfortable with who he was.

But, it is also hugely significant that he is a partner in a loving, secure marriage, and that he has a wife who is at his side giving love, comfort and support to him every day. Their deep relationship, so clearly observable in watching George and Laura Bush together, provides an invaluable anchor in helping him to carry out the enormous task with which God has entrusted him, and its importance cannot be overestimated.

When the September 11 attack occurred, Laura was in Washington, and the President was in Florida, and both of their concerns were first for each other rather than for themselves. His first phone call was to Laura. When asked later if she were afraid for herself, Laura said, “I didn't have a lot of thoughts of fear or personal worries about my own safety, but I worried about my husband." She then paused and said, "I know he had people to protect his safety, but you can't help, when you're married to the president, not to worry about his safety."

When they finally saw each other the afternoon of September 11, Laura has said that they just hugged and comforted each other. The President later shared his understanding that Laura “could have been killed” in the attack. Knowing that on that day, they might have lost each other surely has resulted in a deepening and intensifying of their already close relationship.

Since the attack, Laura has continued to be what has been called the “emotional bulwark” for her husband. She has shared with others that he is doing very well, sleeping well, exercising, socializing with friends. They spend every evening together, reading, watching ballgames, talking about their girls, playing with the dogs. She has recently said, “We have a very sustaining relationship. It’s always been that way, and we’re lucky to have that relationship.” The President has also recently said of Laura, “My wife is a rock.”

When they first met he admitted that for him it was “love at first sight,” (In A Charge to Keep he wrote that Laura “is gorgeous, good-humored, quick to laugh, down-to-earth, and very smart” and said he recognized those attributes right away). Shortly after the Inauguration he stated, “I am glad that Americans are getting a chance to find out something I’ve known for 23 years – Laura is a beautiful person, inside and out.” (And, interestingly, in an interview with Larry King on October 2nd, Laura expressed a similar sentiment, saying that she was glad that America was finally getting a chance to see her husband “as he really is”). The President also has said of their relationship, “Laura brings me great comfort. It’s very helpful to know that in this wonderful job, that I am not alone.” These are the words of two people who provide for each other the kind of strong, loving relationship that is exceedingly rare in a world of broken marriages.

When I suggested in the first article that their marriage…….their deep emotional, spiritual and physical oneness……should be held up as a role model for our children, there were those who scoffed. But I believe that the country, and even the world, has now seen that George and Laura Bush, not only as individuals but as a couple, are indeed positive examples, not only for our children, but for other couples to emulate. Their marriage is centered in their faith in God, in tremendous mutual respect and pride in each other, in adoring love, and light hearted affection (easy to see by the twinkle in the President’s eye when he told a crowd that he was going to follow Laura to the ranch to “spend some quality time” with her, and by the reassuring wink he gave her in the middle of his speech to Congress on September 20th …… and who can forget that little ‘love pat’ the new President gave his wife at the Author’s Conference??).

It is a marriage that is clearly thriving after 24 years of both good and bad times, tranquility and turbulence. They have made a commitment to each other in marriage that has unfortunately become a rarity in today’s culture; a true covenant marriage. Marital fidelity can never be assumed, and when it exists, it cannot be taken for granted. It is clear in watching these two that they are the best of friends, sometimes playful with each other, sometimes supporting each other in time of need; two people who are equals but are fulfilling different God-given roles, both complimentary and compatible.

Our President has asked that we reevaluate our culture in light of what occurred on September 11; to pay more attention to our neighbors, our children, and our marriages. The family has been disintegrating in American culture, and President Bush has asked us to use this time of tragedy to reevaluate and reinforce the foundation of the family unit- marriage. He and Laura are providing a beautiful, shining example of what God intended marriage to be; stabilizing and intimate, both comfortable and passionate, filled with affection, humor, friendship, devotion and love that only improve with time, and it is fitting that we celebrate again what God has given us in these two wonderful people!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, PRESIDENT AND MRS. BUSH!!!!

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