Quote Of The Day By Jenna Bush Hager: 'Humor, Wit, And Grace Are The Best Accessories...'

Jenna Bush Hager has had an unusual life. As the granddaughter of former president George H.W. Bush, and the daughter of former president George W. Bush, she spent many of her childhood years in the White House. But despite her famous family, she's forged her own career path. She's a host on NBC's "Today Show," where she's known for her humorous antics and relatable stories.

In 2019, she launched her popular Read With Jenna book club. Her book picks include both fiction and memoir, and are largely genre agnostic, though there is one book genre that does pop up the most frequently in the Read With Jenna book club. Despite that, family themes are front and center in most of Bush Hager's selections, including the best family saga picks from the Read with Jenna book club. Perhaps that's a reflection of Bush Hager's tight bond with her own family, which has been the center of her two memoirs: "Sisters First: Stories from Our Wild and Wonderful Life," and "Everything Beautiful In Its Time." She has spoken frequently about her closeness with her sister, parents, and grandparents, which is why Bush Hager is today's quote of the day.

"From you Granny, I have learned the gift of uniqueness and authenticity: from wearing mix-matched Keds, to your signature pearls, and snow white hair. You taught us that humor, wit and grace are the best accessories and that worrying too much about looks is (in your words) is boring. Words matter, kindness matters..looks fade."

These touching words from Jenna Bush Hager first appeared in a public letter she penned after the passing of her grandmother, former first lady Barbara Bush. The letter illuminated much of what Bush Hager learned from the family matriarch, including her love of reading and the importance of politeness and modesty. Bush Hager even described a time that her grandmother scolded her and her twin sister, Barbara, for ordering peanut butter sandwiches from the White House kitchen as if it was hotel room service.

The same quote later appeared in her 2020 book "Everything Beautiful in Its Time: Seasons of Love and Loss," a memoir that captured her relationship with her presidential grandparents. It's clear that Bush Hager had a close relationship with her high-profile grandmother, who taught her the importance of developing her character. Despite their relative fame, their family dynamics were much like any other family's.

This beautiful quote, which captures advice from Jenna Bush Hager's grandmother Barbara Bush, is a call to focus on enriching one's inner beauty. Humor, in particular, is important, as is acting with both kindness and compassion. Focusing too much on appearance, including beauty and style, can make for a life that lacks depth. Additionally, while beauty will naturally fade with age, the attributes of your character are something that will remain consistent even as you get older.

It seems Bush Hager really has taken these words to heart. There's no doubt that she is gorgeous and elegant, but her celebrity is based on far more than her looks. Though Bush Hager has undergone a stunning transformation since leaving the White House, she's no fashion plate. Her intelligence and charm have kept her in the public eye for decades. The "Today Show" host is well known for her book club, her philanthropy and work with UNICEF, and her sense of humor. She's even known for her televised pranks – like the time she dropped a cake that she told her co-host was worth $20,000 – proving that she's keeping her grandmother's signature wit alive.

• "When people ask me how I balance work and small children, I say, "It's simple. I don't."
• "For we are given power in not to advance our own purposes, nor to make a great show in the world, nor a name. There is but one just use of power and it is to serve people."
• "It isn't courageous to do the right thing."
• "When we were rude and disrespectful teenagers, [my father's] favorite line was "I love you. There's nothing you can do to make me stop loving you. So stop trying."
• "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 child, a friend or a parent."