A grateful former President George H.W. Bush wants Americans to "cross the Bushes off your worry list."Ailing former first lady Barbara Bush died as her husband held her hand throughout her last day Tuesday in Houston. She was 92.Since then, Americans of all political stripes have sent warm wishes and condolences to the Bush family."I always knew Barbara was the most beloved woman in the world, and in fact I used to tease her that I had a complex about that fact," George H.W. Bush said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon. "But the truth is the outpouring of love and friendship being directed at The Enforcer is lifting us all up. We have faith she is in heaven, and we know life will go on -- as she would have it. So cross the Bushes off your worry list."Earlier Wednesday, a family spokesperson said, George H.W. Bush was heartbroken, yet "stoic," living out his commitment made more than 73 years ago to love and care for Barbara until death did they part. He was still determined to be the rock of the Bush family, his Chief of Staff Jean Becker said."It will not surprise all of you who know and love him that he also is being stoic and strong, and is being lifted up by his large and supportive family," Becker said. "He is determined to be there for them as well."The couple held the title as the longest presidential marriage in American history. In 200, they beat out John and Abigail Adams' 54-year union.The elder Bush couple married Jan. 6, 1945, as World War II raged in the European and Pacific theaters. They tied the knot in Rye, New York, as Bush was recuperating from fighting in the Pacific. He was 20, and Barbara was 19.They met when Bush was just 16 years old, at a Christmas dance at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts."I married the first man I ever kissed," Barbara once told reporters. "When I tell my children that they just about throw up."They would later have six children, including future President George W. Bush, former Florida governor and GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush and Neil Bush.The former first lady was also the fourth cousin four times removed of Franklin Pierce, the 14th president of the United States.In the past, the couple had been caught on the "Kiss Cam" at a Texans game at NRG Stadium. They smooched to the delight of thousands, proving that even seven decades later, they still had fun with one another. They were even at the fifth game of the 2018 Astros World Series at Minute Maid Park, one of the biggest moments in Houston sports history.The former first lady would have turned 93 on June 8. The former president turns 94 years old just days later.The Houston Chronicle contributed to this story.