Jenna Bush Hager Honors Grandfather George H. W. Bush on What Would Have Been Former President's 100th Birthday

Jenna Bush Hager shares fond memories of her late grandfather, President George HW Bush.

On Wednesday, June 12, the former first daughter and Today with Hoda and Jenna the host paid tribute to the 41st president, on the day that would be his 100th birthday.

“We all miss him dearly and on this day I remember the lessons he taught us and find comfort in his ever-present love,” said Bush Hager, 42, during a guest appearance in Today show of the politician she affectionately called “Gampy”.

In honor of HW Bush, Bush Hager wrote a “therapeutic” letter, following the letter-writing tradition so cherished by the late president.

Read her note in full below.

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Jenna Bush Hager and George HW Bush. ROBERT SULLIVAN/AFP via Getty Images

Dear Gampy,

We miss you. We miss your letters and e-mails. We miss chasing the waves of the Atlantic on your boat, fishing, laughter and discussions around the table.

We miss your rules: ‘Don’t be afraid to shed a tear when your heart is broken or when a friend is hurt.’ ‘No one likes an exaggerated face.’ And ‘When you succeed, be good to people, thank those who help you along the way.’

We miss your quiet compassion, like when you shaved your head for your Secret Service agent’s son who had leukemia. We miss your belief that we are better when we work together. And your lifelong devotion to our homeland, as one of the youngest naval pilots in World War II.

Remembering your love of skydiving this week, many of your grandchildren, inspired by you, will jump out of a plane — your milestone birthday tradition that you so proudly did to honor our nation’s military and your service.

You have been gone for 8 years, but we still feel you when we look at the sky and see a thousand points of light, and simple acts of love, and in the smiles of your great-grandchildren.

Dedicated, Jenna.

President George Herbert Walker Bush: His Life in Photographs

After reading her message, Bush Hager reminisced about HW Bush with her Today colleagues Craig Melvin, Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Carson Daly and Al Roker.

“It’s really hard to believe it’s been eight years since I’ve seen him,” Bush Hager said.

The group went on to discuss how HW Bush’s reputation for being kind during his presidency was something Bush Hager said “we can all learn from.”

“He would sit with friends of all different faiths, from all different political parties, and he loved to argue – that was his favorite thing. He would sit at that table and sometimes there would be tears, sometimes there would be anger, but at the root there was always love,” she remembered. “So I would say, think about all those who came before, about the greatest generation…we learn from them and their sacrifices of service, family and love. But also, conversation and tenderness.”

Bush Hager then recalled being at the grocery store with her mom, former first lady Laura Bush, when she saw the word “Wimp” on the cover of a magazine with a picture of her grandfather.

“I knew the word because other bullies used to say it on the playground — it was a very popular word at the time,” Bush Hager said. “And that was because he was gentle, he led with kindness, he wanted to be the type of leader who listens, and that was a stark contrast.”

“Being gentle and leading with love is actually the opposite of being weak,” she observed.

Jenna Bush Hager and George HW Bush at the Republican National Convention in New York on September 2, 2004.

AP Photo/Ed Reinke

Jenna Bush Hager reveals how Savannah Guthrie helped her after the death of her grandfather George HW

George HW Bush died on November 30, 2018 at the age of 94, about eight months after the death of his beloved wife, former First Lady Barbara Bush. Bush Hager attended his funeral at the Washington National Cathedral, where she read a prayer from the pulpit.

Two years later, the mother of three children announced Everything is beautiful in its time: Seasons of love and lossa collection of essays recalling the funniest, most touching moments she shared with her paternal grandparents, Harold Welch and Jenna Welch.

“As long as I’m alive, my grandparents will not be forgotten,” she said during the announcement of the book. “I hear their voices in the letters they sent me and in my memories. They offer comfort, support and guidance, and I will always listen to them.”

Bush Hager also shared heartfelt words about the former president on social media, including on the anniversary of his death.

“He’s gone, but he left behind a loving family — yesterday we talked about how much we love him and each other,” she wrote in 2019. “He showed us that serving with humility is the best way to serve and that living with kindness and generosity is the best way to live.”

Jenna Bush Hager ahead of skydiving with US Army in 2021 Show Today Show Twitter Jenna Bush Hager skydives in honor of late ‘Gampy’ George HW Bush: ‘I’m jumping for him’

But in 2021, Bush Hager took her tribute to new heights, when she skydive with the Army’s Golden Knights, the same group that HW Bush skydive with to celebrate his 90th birthday in 2014.

The jump is documented at Today. And although Bush Hager was “terrified” to skydive, she noted that she was “so inspired” by her grandfather. If he can do it, so can I, she said.

The follow-up shot was then seen Bush Hager jumps from 10,000 feetlanding at the National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

“[My grandfather] always said, ‘Make sure you enjoy the game,’ and I don’t think there’s a better way to enjoy it than to live like this,” she said after landing safely. “I hope he’ll be proud.”

Today airs weekdays beginning at 7 a.m. ET on NBC.

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