The Bush twins, Jenna and Barbara bush’s letter to Sasha and Malia Obama and never before seen photos

When Malia and Sasha Obama first arrived at the White House, the Bush
twins, Jenna and Barbara Bush penned a letter offering advice for the
young Obama girls as their father took over the Oval Office. The Bush
twins are the daughters of the 43rd president of the United States of
America, George W. Bush Jnr. 8 years later, they have written a farewell
letter to the sisters. This time they also shared never-before-seen
photos that they took with the Obama sisters. Jenna Bush Hager who is
now married and has a 3 year old daughter and her sister Barbara wrote:

“Malia and Sasha, eight years ago on a cold November day, we greeted you
on the steps of the White House. We saw both the light and wariness in
your eyes as you gazed at your new home. We left our jobs in Baltimore
and New York early and traveled to Washington to show you around. To
show you the Lincoln Bedroom, and the bedrooms that were once ours, to
introduce you to all the people—the florists, the grounds-keepers and
the butlers—who dedicate themselves to making this historic house a
home. The four of us wandered the majestic halls of the house you had no
choice but to move in to. When you slid down the banister of the
solarium, just as we had done as 8-year-olds and again as 20-year-olds
chasing our youth, your joy and laughter were contagious.

“In eight years, you have done so much. Seen so much. You stood at the
gates of the Robben Island cell where South Africa’s Nelson Mandela was
imprisoned for decades, your arms around your father. You traveled to
Liberia and Morocco with your mom to talk with girls about the
importance of education—girls who saw themselves in you, saw themselves
in your parents, saw who they could become if they continued to study
and learn. You attended state dinners, hiked in national parks, met
international leaders and managed to laugh at your dad’s jokes during
the annual Thanksgiving turkey pardon, all while being kids, attending
school and making friends. We have watched you grow from girls to
impressive young women with grace and ease.

“And through it all you had each other. Just like we did.

“Now you are about to join another rarified club, one of former First
Children—a position you didn’t seek and one with no guidelines. But you
have so much to look forward to. You will be writing the story of your
lives, beyond the shadow of your famous parents, yet you will always
carry with you the experiences of the past eight years.

“Never forget the wonderful people who work at the White House. Our
greeter as 7-year-olds at our grandfather’s Inauguration was Nancy, the
White House florist, who ushered us in from the cold. She helped us make
colorful bouquets of winter flowers for our grandparents’ bedside.
Twenty years later, Nancy did the flowers for Jenna’s wedding. Cherish
your own Nancy. We stay in touch with our Secret Service. They were part
of growing up for us: there for first dates, first days and even an
engagement and a honeymoon. We know it wasn’t always easy—the two of you
and the two of us were teenagers trailed by men in backpacks—but they
put their lives on hold for us.

 “Enjoy college. As most of the world knows, we did. And you won’t have
the weight of the world on your young shoulders anymore. Explore your
passions. Learn who you are. Make mistakes—you are allowed to. Continue
to surround yourself with loyal friends who know you, adore you and will
fiercely protect you. Those who judge you don’t love you, and their
voices shouldn’t hold weight. Rather, it’s your own hearts that matter”.

On TODAY, Jenna said she and her sister Barbara have found life after
the White House to be “really terrific” and hope that Malia and Sasha
will have a similar experience.

“It’s just amazing how fast eight years go by and how they’ve become
these really unbelievable women and we just wanted to make sure they
knew,” she said.