Posted: January 22, 2009, 5 a.m. EST
Barbara and Jenna Bush have some advice for the young Obama daughters, who are about to get their first dog after they settle into the White House: “Cherish your animals because sometimes you'll need the quiet comfort that only animals can provide,” the sisters wrote in an open letter to Sasha and Malia published on Inauguration Day in The Wall Street Journal.
The Bush daughters, who were 7 years old when their grandfather George H.W. Bush entered the White House, also offered some advice for having fun in the historic home.
“Slide down the banister of the solarium, go to T-ball games, have swimming parties, and play Sardines on the White House lawn. Have fun and enjoy your childhood in such a magical place to live and play,” they wrote.
The sisters also offered some more serious advice. “Remember who your dad really is,” they said. “Many people will think they know him, but they have no idea how he felt the day you were born, the pride he felt on your first day of school, or how much you both love being his daughters.”
- Read more about the Obama family's search for a dog -