George H.W. Bush's letter to Bill Clinton on leaving office goes viral

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - In 1993, outgoing President George H.W. Bush left a welcome letter for incoming President Bill Clinton. The letter now kept in the Bush presidential library is warm and encouraging. A photo of the letter by fashion designer and MIT graduate Saba Gul has gone viral.

"A long, long time ago, in a land far far away, politics had grace," Gul wrote.

The letter reads: "Dear Bill, When I walked into this office just now I felt the same sense of wonder and respect that I felt four years ago. I know you will feel that, too.

I wish you great happiness here. I never felt the loneliness some Presidents have described.

There will be very tough times, made even more difficult by criticism you may not think is fair. I’m not a very good one to give advice; but just don’t let the critics discourage you or push you off course.

You will be our President when you read this note. I wish you well. I wish your family well.

Your success is now our country’s success. I am rooting for you. Good luck, George"

In a follow-up Tweet, Gul says the popularity of her post is the direct result of her dissatisfaction with the ugliness of the current political campaign season.

"One of my tweets recently went viral, because the world is nostalgic for the civility of 1990s American politics."