For those of us who have been life-long
Patriot fans, we take great pride in our quarterback. And we do so, not because of his Super Bowl
victories or his statistics or his consistency over his many years in the
league. No, those accomplishments are
the just the end result of his unique ability to make the players around him
that much better, to help all of his teammates perform at a higher level and to
get them to step up and improve their game when it mattered most. This is his critical value add. This is why we respect him so. This is why New England loves our favored
son.
When I heard the news earlier in the week,
that Barbara Bush had chosen to cease her medical treatment and chose instead
to gracefully accept the end of her life, I was deeply saddened, but I was not
surprised. So, despite this sadness, I had to smile. This was how she lived her wonderful life -
head on.
The wife of a US Navy pilot, congressman, ambassador,
CIA director, vice president and president, married for 73 years, the mother
six children, including two governors and a president and a parent who had buried
a three year old child, the hardest ordeal any person could possibly endure,
she bore witness to a world that very few of us have even glimpsed. And with the even more important legacy of 17
grand-children and seven great-grandchildren, her experience of a life well
lived only taught her to be more grounded, more giving, more thoughtful,
Listening to a wide array of family members,
historians, lifelong friends and associates over the last few days, she was described
as genuinely kind and loving, but one that would always offer up tough love
whenever the moment arrived. She was
plain spoken, comfortable In any surrounding, as honest as the day is long,
caring, funny, and most of all she was authentic.
Listening to her sons describe her as the
disciplinarian, teaching them to be humble and to treat others with respect,
all with the purpose of taking them to higher levels and making them better
men, it was apparent that Barbara Bush was the parent we all wanted, the parent
we all needed.
She was many things to many people. The Enforcer to her family, Tranquility to
the Secret Service, America’s Grandmother to the country, she could subtly
morph herself to fill the apparent need in her line of sight. At a time when our politics have become so bitter,
most noteworthy were the stories and accolades that poured out from around the
country from those who only met her once, retelling the value of the moment, extolling
her kindness, her sincerity, and her authenticity. It was a welcomed breath of fresh air. And it seemed that even in her death, she was
guiding us, teaching us that there is a better way.
We can only hope that the memory of Barbara
Bush will linger for many generations to come, for the people she touched over
her consistent 92 years were all better off for it. But the question remains, will they continue
to grow? Did they grasp enough from her in her lifetime that they will continue
to move the ball forward on their own or will they get pushed back? Will they lose
ground with her absence? Only time will
tell, Barbara Bush, a straight talking woman of action, would be the first to
tell you that.
Over the last several years, many offensive
players have left the Patriots to go on to play for other teams, but few have
achieved the same personal or team success they did when they played with
Brady. With the passing of Barbara Bush
and the loss of her aura in American politics, sadly I worry that the prospect
of our collective successes to come and of our collective efforts to move our country
forward will be diminished. While I hope
and pray that others will step in to fill the quiet void she leaves behind, it’s
not lost on me that her value-add was so great, that doing so will take a
village.
In New England, and specifically along the
coastline of Maine, we understand this implicitly.
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