Jenna Bush Hager gushed about co-host Hoda Kotb after the mother-of-two was missing from set due to a family emergency.
"Hoda makes my life full," the former president’s daughter said.
"And it's so interesting, but you don't really know until somebody's kind of gone, unexpectedly, how much you depend on them," the TV personality added.
Kotb was missing from the Today for two weeks, and Hager recalled what she told her co-host when she returned, saying, "I mean, I knew I adored her, but I wrote her when she came back and I said, 'I don't even know if you know, how much you impact my life.'"
"I think she said it best. She said, 'You know, it's a Monday and then it's an ordinary day, and things can change in a second.' And I am just so grateful that I have a partner in television that appreciates every single moment, and encourages me to do the same," the 41-year-old continued about Kotb.
The Today star also mentioned how the tragic situation has changed her perspective on life.
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“I have these three precious children who mean everything to me. So, it's nice that we both have our priorities in check. I feel like sometimes in New York City, things can get crazy, and your world can become too fast, and it sort of slowed everything down and reminded us what's important," Hager, who shares Mila, Poppy and Hal with husband Henry Chase Hager, said.
On Monday, March 6, Kotb came back to the show and revealed the reason for her extended absence.
"Little Hope had to go to the hospital and she was in the ICU for a few days and then in the hospital for another week and it was really scary. She's vibrant and brilliant. She's home. She's home. She's home. I'm over the moon that she's home," the worried mother explained.
"I felt you. I heard you. I needed you," she added, referring to the many fans who supported her during this tough time.
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The author shared, "For anyone who's ever gone through an illness with a child, boy, I thought I understood you, but I don't. I didn't."
"Until you're sitting in that position. For every single person who's going through some stuff, I get it," she concluded.
ET previously reported on Hager's statements.
