Michelle Obama has kept us in awe of her choices since she first emerged onto the global stage during her husband’s first presidential campaign in 2008. If there was ever an award for the most famous and influential political spouse on the planet, the accolade would surely go to the 53-year-old.
During her term as First Lady, she’s charmed and wooed her way into the public’s heart with her warmth, approachability and fun (that carpool karaoke session with James Corden!), dedicated herself to her chosen causes with admirable commitment, and empowered women with her sass, her sense of belief and robust values.
While Michelle has emphatically claimed she will not, like former First Lady Hillary Clinton, be running for president one day, it is clear that her future in swaying opinions is not over.
Freedom At Last
The Obamas have said they plan to rent a nine-bedroom Washington mansion when the president’s term expires and will stay in D.C. at least until their youngest daughter graduates from high school in 2018.
Life after the White House is still in the planning stages, but one thing is for certain for Michelle – she will find a freedom she has been craving for the past eight years. When she appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2015 she said she looked forward to being able to do the things everyday Americans take for granted. “Little things like, you know, open a window,” she said, referring to the Secret Service detail assigned to her at all times.
Michelle has been vigilant in her bid for normality and routine in her family despite their lofty circumstances. The ‘mum in chief’ to 18-year-old Malia and 15-year-old Sasha says that the family dine together every night at 6.30 and then curl up together and watch television.
“I talk to them a lot. One of the things my mum always said to me is, “You’re not raising children; you’re raising human beings”, so create an open line of communication as early as possible. Now that my kids are teenagers, they can often go to their peers for advice and I don’t want them getting their best advice from another 15-year-old,” she quips.
A Rare Spotlight
Her push for normalcy comes as no surprise then and her belief in the importance of family extends to her marriage as well. She has described her role in the relationship as “holding everything together and keeping our home in order while he’s away and said, “We’re each other’s best friends and closest advisors.” She has also said that she thinks her husband is “swagalicious”.
Michelle is not lacking in the swag stakes herself, with hundreds of online accounts dedicated to her every move. Despite her prowess in connecting with people through social media, the First Lady does not want that to be her only legacy.
“I want to feel like the things I did made a difference. That’s one of the reasons I spend time [greeting people] on rope lines because I’m always thinking, maybe this interaction will change someone’s life. Maybe if I stay one second longer and ask this little girl what she wants to be, if I tell her I’m proud of her, if I give her a hug, maybe that moment will make her go off and be great. That’s how I think about the work I do [as First Lady]. It’s a rare spotlight, I want to make sure I don’t waste it,” she says.
And wasted it she hasn’t, for while Michelle may not want to be a future president, she is a woman that the world will never forget.
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Michelle’s classy attitude and laidback persona has made her one of the most dynamic women in the world. Check out all the reasons why we’ll miss her here: