President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden spent the night before Christmas Eve honoring a long-standing tradition of reading books and spreading holiday cheer at Children’s National Hospital in Washington on Friday.
The first lady read a book called The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. After reading the book, the two met with families and their children in the cardiac intensive care unit.
“Thanks for coming and listening to me read and have the president hold the book,” the first lady, wearing a cloth face mask, joked. “It’s my job.”
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The president also delivered an uplifting message to the families, urging them to “be strong.”
“To all you parents, be strong. We spent a lot of time in children’s hospitals with patients too. It’s going to be OK,” he said.
It is a tradition for first ladies to visit the hospital during the holidays, dating back to the Truman administration. The president made history last year by tagging along.
The most recent visit came just a day after the 46th president delivered his annual Christmas address, when he offered a vision of a “fresh start” for the nation and shared his wish that the holiday season would “drain the poison that has infected our politics.”
His remarks also included a message of hope, love, and community.
“We’re here on this Earth to care for one another, to look out for one another, to love one another,” Biden said in his Thursday address, asking for people to “spread a little kindness.”
“The message of Christmas is always important, especially important through tough times like the ones we’ve been through the past few years,” he added.
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Biden went on to acknowledge, however, that the season can be one of pain and loneliness.
“I know how hard this time of year can be. … No one can ever know what someone else is going through, what’s really going on in their life, what they’re struggling with, what to try and overcome,” he said. “That’s why sometimes the smallest act of kindness can mean so much.”
