Our Thoughts and Reflections Are With George W. Bush

What makes his transition striking is not perfection, but restraint. In an era when former leaders chase cameras and algorithms, Bush has mostly declined to compete with his successors. He mentors quietly, paints the faces of those who carried out his orders, and lets historians argue without his constant rebuttal. The legacy of his presidency will remain contested. But his choice to step back—fir mly, intentionally—has become its own kind of statement about power, responsibility, and how a pub lic life should end.