56 Barbara Bush Quotes for Understanding the Complexities of Life

Barbara Bush, former first lady and wife of George Bush has had some wise things to say throughout her life. These Barbara Bush quotes will show you her strong opinions, values, and life experiences.

Bush often talked about the value of other people, particularly family, but also had a lot to say about life as a whole, and often reflected on her life in government.

What can we learn from this former first lady?

While Barbara Bush talks quite a bit about the value of family and books, the true value lies in her words about life, and how to live it without regrets. These Barbara Bush quotes will open your eyes to this, so that you can start living the fulfilled life you’ve always dreamed of.

Also check out these George HW Bush quotes from the 41st president.

Barbara Bush Quotes About Friends and Family

1. “At the end of your life you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child or a parent.” – Barbara Bush

2. “Your success as a family… our success as a nation… depends not on what happens inside the White House, but on what happens inside your house.” – Barbara Bush

3. “I’m worried about parents who aren’t parenting.” – Barbara Bush

4. “One of the many things we have learned in all our travels is that it’s the people who count… most people everywhere are interesting, and if you can’t find a friend, then maybe there is something wrong with you.” – Barbara Bush

5. “To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.” – Barbara Bush

6. “Fathers and mothers, if you have children, they must come first. You must read to your children, you must hug your children and you must love your children.” – Barbara Bush

7. “Value your friendships. Value your relationships.” – Barbara Bush

8. “You have to love your children unselfishly. That’s hard. But it’s the only way.” – Barbara Bush

9. “I think togetherness is a very important ingredient to family life.” – Barbara Bush

10. “It was the dumbest thing I had every seen, but it’s a family thing, and I guess it’s clean.” – Barbara Bush

11. “You know sit with your arm around a little kid and read. It not only teaches them to read but it keeps the family strong.” – Barbara Bush

12. “You get nothing done if you don’t listen to each other.” – Barbara Bush

13. “Family and friends and faith are the most important things in your life and you should be building friendships.” – Barbara Bush

Barbara Bush Quotes About Life in Government

14. “War is not nice.” – Barbara Bush

15. “Did you know that if a child never misses a day of school from first grade to twelfth grade, he or she would have spent only 9 percent of his or her life in the classroom? The other 91 percent is spent in the home or out in the community. We cannot expect teachers and the schools to solve all our children’s problems.” – Barbara Bush

16. “Somewhere out in this audience may even be someone who will one day follow my footsteps, and preside over the White House as the president’s spouse. I wish him well!” – Barbara Bush

17. “The personal things should be left out of, in my opinion, out of platforms and conventions.” – Barbara Bush

18. “Nobody likes, you know, the ugly part of politics.” – Barbara Bush

19. “I loved living in the White House, but I don’t miss it at all.” – Barbara Bush

20. “Everything I worry about would be better if more people could read, write, and comprehend.” – Barbara Bush

21. “The state dinner is almost a formula, but you try to make it interesting. You try not to overload it with too many political types. You try to get a cross section.” – Barbara Bush

22. “Suddenly women’s lib had made me feel my life had been wasted.” – Barbara Bush

23. “I’m not a one issue person.” – Barbara Bush

24. “Let’s judge a man on what he’s done.” – Barbara Bush

25. “I feel very strongly that the person who runs for office is the courageous one, and the one who everybody has to know.” – Barbara Bush

26. “You try to do something every single day that will help an American or maybe someone overseas.” – Barbara Bush

27. “I don’t think that’s healthy for the country when anyone thinks their morals are better than anyone else’s.” – Barbara Bush

You might also like our list of the best experience quotes for living a fulfilled life.

Barbara Bush Quotes About the Realities of Life

28. “Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people.” – Barbara Bush

29. “As important as your obligations as a doctor, lawyer or business leader will be, you are a human being first.” – Barbara Bush

30. “Believe in something larger than yourself.” – Barbara Bush

31. “Some people give time, some money, some their skills and connections, some literally give their life’s blood. But everyone has something to give.” – Barbara Bush

32. “You don’t just luck into things as much as you’d like to think you do. You build step by step, whether it’s friendships or opportunities.” – Barbara Bush

33. “Get involved in the big ideas of your time.” – Barbara Bush

34. “When you come to a roadblock, take a detour.” – Barbara Bush

35. “Bias has to be taught. If you hear your parents downgrading women or people of different backgrounds, why, you are going to do that.” – Barbara Bush

36. “If human beings are perceived as potentials rather than problems, as possessing strengths instead of weaknesses, as unlimited rather than dull and unresponsive, then they thrive and grow to their capabilities.” – Barbara Bush

37. “The winner of the hoop race will be the first to realize her dream, not society’s dream, her own personal dream.” – Barbara Bush

38. “Life has changed enormously, and I hope—I hope more people read good things.” – Barbara Bush

39. “People who worry about their hair all the time, frankly, are boring.” – Barbara Bush

 40. “My worst expectations never happened.” – Barbara Bush

41. “Never ask anyone over 70 how they feel. They’ll tell you.” – Barbara Bush

42. “You have two choices in life: you can like what you do, or you can dislike it. I have chosen to like it.” – Barbara Bush

Barbara Bush Quotes About Her Own Life

 43. “I want to still be able to garden while I can bend over.” – Barbara Bush

44. “I do have the most marvelous husband, children, and grandchildren.” – Barbara Bush

45. “One thing I can say about George… he may not be able to keep a job, but he’s not boring.” – Barbara Bush

46. “One of the reasons I made the most important decision of my life… to marry George Bush… is because he made me laugh. It’s true, sometimes we’ve laughed through our tears… but that shared laughter has been one of our strongest bonds.” – Barbara Bush

47. “I married the first man I ever kissed. When I tell my children that, they just about throw up.” – Barbara Bush

48. “Once, when George and I were visiting after we were married, Mother asked him not to go to the bathroom at night because he woke her up when he flushed the toilet. George, already inventive at 21 years of age, went out the window!” – Barbara Bush

49. “The pearls are to cover the wrinkles, which they no longer do. You can’t wear pearls all over your face.” – Barbara Bush

50. “Why be afraid of what people will say? Those who care about you will say ‘Good luck!’ and those who care only about themselves will never say anything worth listening to anyway.” – Barbara Bush

You might also like these Abigail Adams quotes about education, peace, and women’s rights.

More Barbara Bush quotes

51. “You may think the president is all-powerful, but he is not. He needs a lot of guidance from the Lord.” – Barbara Bush

52. “Your success as a family our success as a nation, depends not on what happens inside the White House, but on what happens inside your house.” – Barbara Bush

53. “At the end of your life, you will never regret winning one more verdict or earning one more paycheck. You WILL regret time not spent with a spouse, a friend or a loved one.” – Barbara Bush

54. “I may be the only mother in America who knows exactly what their child is up to all the time.” – Barbara Bush

55. “Cherish your human connections – your relationships with friends and family.” – Barbara Bush

56. “I hate the fact that people think ‘compromise’ is a dirty word.” – Barbara Bush

What did you learn from these Barbara Bush quotes?

Former first lady Barbara Bush is a wise person, bringing insight to many aspects of life throughout her own. These Barbara Bush quotes show her life’s philosophies, as they brought her into old age, through raising a family, and through helping to run a country.

So, what is the most valuable takeaway from Bush’s wisdom? The thing she talks about the most are people, and the importance of them in your life. So make sure you appreciate those around you, laugh with them, and love them unconditionally. Doing so will help you to feel like your life is fulfilled, no matter how intense your responsibilities may seem.

What’s your biggest takeaway from these wise Barbara Bush quotes? Do you have any other favorite quotes to add? Let us know in the comment section below.

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