The nation is still in mourning after the death of former President George H.W. Bush last week.

During his 73 year marriage to his beloved wife Barbara, the couple welcomed six children: George Walker Bush, Pauline Robinson “Robin” Bush, John Ellis “Jeb” Bush Sr., Neil Mallon Bush, Marvin Pierce Bush and Dorothy Walker “Doro” Bush Koch. Sadly, Robin passed away of leukemia when she was just three years-old.

Just before his death, George H.W. talked to his granddaughter Jenna about what it was like to lose a child.

The Bush Library explained that the entire family was “deeply effected” by the death of Robin. In 1958, George H.W. wrote an emotional letter to his mother about how his family was dealing with her death.

“There is about our house a need,” he wrote. “We need some soft blonde hair to offset those crew cuts. We need a dollhouse to stand firm against our forts and racquets and thousand baseball cards. We need someone who’s afraid of frogs. We need a little one who can kiss without leaving egg or jam or gum. We need a girl. We had one once — she’d fight and cry and play and make her way, just like the rest. But there was about her a certain softness. She was patient. Her hugs were a just little less wiggly. We need her and yet we have her. We can’t touch her and yet we can feel her. We hope she’ll stay in our house for a long, long time.”

Jenna Bush Hager just revealed that before his death, her beloved grandfather confessed to her that he was looking forward to dying. When she asked why, he said, “Well, when I die, I’m going to be reunited with the people I’ve lost. I hope I see Robin, and I hope I see my mom. I haven’t yet figured out if it will be Robin as the three year old that she was, this kind of chubby, vivacious child or if she’ll come as a middle-aged woman, an older woman… I hope she’s the three-year-old.”

 

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This brought me such comfort this morning. I had the opportunity to talk with my grandpa about the afterlife. This is what he said: ​He answered without any hesitation. “Yes, I think about it. I used to be afraid. I used to be scared of dying. I used to worry about death. But now in some ways I look forward to it.” And I started crying. I managed to choke out, “Well, why? What do you look forward to?” And he said, “Well, when I die, I’m going to be reunited with these people that I’ve lost.” And I asked who he hoped to see. He replied, I hope I see Robin, and I hope I see my mom. I haven’t yet figured it out if it will be Robin as the three year old that she was, this kind of chubby, vivacious child or if she’ll come as a middle-aged woman, an older woman. And then he said, “I hope she’s the three-year-old.” Robin was the daughter this giant of a man lost years before to leukemia. The little girl he held tightly: who spoke the phrase I have heard Gampy repeat for my entire life, forever knitting Robin’s voice into the tightly woven fabric of our family: “I love you more than tongue can tell.”

A post shared by jennabhager (@jennabhager) on Dec 1, 2018 at 4:21am PST

It comforted Jenna and the rest of her family to know that George H.W. is reunited with the wife and daughter that he loved so dearly!

Please keep the entire Bush family in your thoughts and prayers!