Former president George H.W. Bush experienced shortness of breath Tuesday and was reportedly taken to a Houston-area hospital. Although this has been called a precautionary measure, the 41st U.S president was also admitted to a hospital for bronchitis in November 2012. He recovered from that illness within two months.

Former President Bush, or Bush “senior,” has had brushes with serious illness before. A severe staph infection he contracted as a teenager nearly killed him.

The Republican who served as Ronald Reagan’s vice president is also the father of former president George W. Bush, the 43rd U.S. president.

A longtime Texas native, George H.W. Bush is also the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, a medal for bravery given to him for his days as a Navy pilot during World War II. During that war, he flew 58 combat missions andhe was rescued by U.S. sailors when his plane was shot down once over the Pacific. He had continued flying towards his intended target even after his plane was hit with anti-aircraft rounds.

This past June, former President Bush turned 90 years old.

President Barack Obama, through White House spokesman Eric Schulz, has wished the elder Bush well in his recovery. Obama, currently on vacation in Hawaii with his wife and two daughters, also wished the entire Bush family a happy holidays.

While this latest trip to the hospital may seem expected for someone his age, George H.W. Bush does not usually conform to expectations. For instance, he marked his 75th, 80th, 85th, and even his most recent birthday with a parachuting jump. He had lost the use of his legs by the time of his latest birthday jump, which marked his 90th year.

Although it may seem far-fetched in this time of extreme political divisiveness, he once wrote a letter to his children instructing them to see their opponents’ point of view without fear of looking weak. Even in his youth, Bush, or “41” as he likes to be called, avoided the easy road. Despite his acceptance to Yale, he enlisted in the military following the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Although Bush “senior” suffers from a form of Parkinson’s disease, he seems determined to continue leading a life that, by most standards, has already been quite a full one.

An early convert to email, his recent friendship with Taylor Swift is another one of countless examples he is aware the times keep changing, and fast. No matter how improbable, George H.W. Bush seems to have no problem keeping up.