Barbara Bush: 5 Ways She's An Inspiration At 90

Lovingly nicknamed in the 80s as “everybody’s grandmother,” former First Lady Barbara Bush celebrated her 90th birthday on Monday, June 8! A few days before, she happily reflected on her long life, telling Jenna Bush Hager, her granddaughter and TODAY show correspondent, "I've been the luckiest woman in the world, truthfully. And I know it."

Besides being the former first lady, the mother of a former president, and the mother of a 2016 presidential contender, Bush has her own claims to fame. According to PBS, inspired by her son Neil's dyslexia, she strongly advocates for literacy in America. She founded the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy as first lady and even wrote two books to promote literacy. Among other issues, she also worked to raise money for cancer research.

If you’re anything like me and all the other 20-somethings out there, you get increasingly worried at every birthday — counting the candles on your cake, feeling depressed, wondering how time can go by so fast, and feeling like tomorrow you might very well wake up on your 90th birthday.

Never fear! Even if you do wake up on your 90th birthday tomorrow in some strange Freaky Friday mix-up, Bush proves that’s not a bad thing. Regardless of your political opinions, 90-year-old Bush is sure to give you hope and inspiration with these five reasons that prove your 90s can be spectacular.

She Stays Active

Look at any photo of Bush, and you will notice her bright white hair. The Washington Post reported that when her daughter Robin died of leukemia, Bush's hair turned white at just age 28. In the interview with the TODAY show, Bush explained she kept her hair white because she wanted to stay active. She explained:

I wanted to play golf, I wanted to play tennis, I wanted to swim. And my hair turned, as I'm sure someone else will tell you, orange, green, yellow, depending upon how much chlorine in the pool. So I decided to go white.

Let that inspire you on those all-too-often days you just don't feel like going to the gym. If 90-year-old Bush can get some cardio in, so can you.

She's Stylish & Funny

In her TODAY show interview, Bush said that her signature pearls are more than just a style choice.

The pearls are to cover the wrinkles, which they no longer do... You can't wear pearls all over your face.

Classically stylish in her pearls, not to mention humorous— something to strive for.

She Knows How To Get What She Wants

In a recent interview with TIME, Bush revealed her secret weapon for getting what she wants,

Sometimes when someone asks me to do something I really don’t want to do, I can say, 'I might not be alive.' It works.

Did I mention that she is funny? Too bad I can't whip that one out next time my housemate tells me its my turn to take out the trash.

She's Celebrated A Long, Happy Marriage

Barbara Bush has been married to George H. W. Bush for 70 years. No, that's not a mistake, 70. The two met at a Christmas dance during high school and have been together since.

In Barbara Bush's 1994 memoir, re-released this year, her son Marvin Bush writes in the forward,

Growing up, we had a front row seat at one of the greatest love stories that ever existed. My parents can't get enough of each other. Their love has grown stronger with each passing year. They laugh at each other's goofy jokes, hold hands when no one is around, and generally look at each other like teenagers in love.

See that picture above? The one of Bush kissing her husband in a wheel chair after being married for 70 years? Yeah, that's the stuff that Nicholas Sparks novels are made of.

She's Dedicated To Charity Work

Want to attend her birthday celebration at the Bush family home in Maine? Note: After reading this article, I think your answer should be yes. Well, according to The Christian Science Monitor it will cost you $5,000. Bush is using her birthday to raise money for the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. Selflessly using her day to help others, she's truly an inspiration.

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