Grace under pressure
Have you ever noticed how a president looks when he enters office and how they do leaving? In the beginning he may be handsome and somewhat youthful looking. As they leave it’s an entirely different story. It’s obvious by their face they have seen much of the darkness of this world and felt the pressures of critical actions.
Imagine its 3 am and your phone rings or there’s a knock on the door. Think back to when you were a student and your name is called over the loud speaker to “come to the office”. 
You would know immediately that it was not good news, No illusions of the ‘prize patrol’ that you’re a big winner. No sense of excitement as you wonder what it is that waits. No, instead it’s a deep pit that forms in your stomach as thoughts of family or close friends rush through your mind. Whole scenarios blaze by at lightning speed and they are all complete in nature and full of fearful detail.
We’ve all been in this situation to some degree. Sometimes the news is devastating and all our fears are suddenly realized. Others times the news is something else entirely and the huge wave of relief is almost as overwhelming.
Fortunately for most of us these episodes are far and few between. We live our daily lives with each 24 hour period much like the last and no real expectations of the next to be any different. Stress comes most for the average person when his daily routine is anything but. It’s when our regular activity is altered that we are put under pressure and forced to handle it. Usually it’s moving to a new area, job changes, loved one dies, divorce or any of a myriad of things that can upset the balance we try so hard to keep. Not to be confused with daily stressors, these events that we face from time to time ‘define’ a man or woman and so many times it also lets you know who your true friends are. If each day were filled with these kinds of challenges, our life expectancy might not be so high and you’d be grey at 21.
President Bush definitely had his share of things to handle during his eight years. In fact very few presidents had as much let alone more. While his visage did change like all presidents and at first blush one might make the argument that his years of service got the better of him. Nothing could be further than the truth. Bush’s challenges started early and were compounded with intense media scrutiny. Bush’s 8 years were filled with agonizing, world changing, crucial problems that needed action such as natural disasters, stem cell research, reforming social security, Supreme Court justice appointments, Iraq, Iran, South Korea and its nuclear ambitions and on and on. While the same could be said of others who have gone before one thing changed it all.
September 11th, was that moment, it was from there that Bush made his most crucial decision. Protect America and all that is in her. This meant new thinking and different decisions that the media and some in the world did not like. At first it seemed everybody was on board and rallied behind our flag but it only took a few short weeks for those who diametrically opposed him anyway to begin sniping and spreading seeds of doubt. If Bush was ever a poll watcher, now was the time to ignore them and he did. If Bush was ever a man of faith now was the time to lean on it, he did so unabashedly.
Now the decisions were about invading Afghanistan, the Iraq war, dealing with enemy combatants as prisoners, the Patriot Act and so many more. I’m sure his phone rang more than just at 3 am and I’m equally sure that he dreaded making those calls to loved ones of fallen soldiers: But George Bush held steadfast and made the tough decisions, he did not back down in the face of the enemy nor from his critics.
No doubt he experienced the pit in his stomach and agonizing nights of thinking and re thinking. President Bush handled the office of President with dignity and honor while putting the world on notice that ‘we are Americans’ and cannot be vanquished by fear.
Our hope and strength is intact because George W. Bush guided us through some of the toughest times we’ve ever faced. It is because he stood, that we took a stand and with his leadership we overcame. With Bush at the helm our fears were set aside allowing us to regain our confidence and to stand together united as a people for freedom and liberty for all.
It would be terrible to forget this yet it has happened to a great degree in such a short time. People have forgotten how close we came to losing a great many freedoms and the comforts of living in America. Perhaps that’s a testament to how great a job Bush actually did, allowing us to get back to our stressful little worlds living out our 24 hour periods just one at a time.
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