#ThanksMichelleObama

As we approach the end of the year and the end of the Obama administration, I feel that it is important for me to take a moment and express gratitude to this exceptional First Lady. Personal opinion about her politics asides, Michelle Obama has conducted herself with grace and poise even in the face of ugliness on an unprecedented scale. I have seen five First Ladies in my lifetime. I can’t remember any of them facing the level of scrutiny of Michelle Obama. Sometimes the criticism took on a racial tone. 

With all of that, the admiration that I have for this strong, intelligent woman is difficult to express. It was clear looking at the Obamas that they had such a strong marriage. There was never a hint that there was anything other than devotion and respect between the two of them. In whatever picture you see of them together, you see a clear sense of respect and love between the two of them. You see it in President Obama’s eyes when he speaks about his wife. This is a man who clearly sees the beauty of his wife at a deeper level than the superficial trappings of beauty. He admires her intelligence, determination, grace, and patience. As he said in his speech at the DNC this summer, he felt that he married up. You see this reflected back at him whenever Michelle speaks about her husband. Theirs is a relationship built on mutual respect. 

As I watched the election cycle, I was struck by the tone in how now President-elect spoke about women. It was important for someone to express my own dismay at not just the language being used but the actions and sentiments being expressed. Michelle Obama did not disappoint. Her speech in New Hampshire while on the campaign trail for Hillary Clinton captured so perfectly so many of the emotions that I was feeling. This wasn’t a speech about politics but one about how words matter.

When I look back over these last eight years, I am struck by the genuine passion that First Lady Obama showed no matter what she was tackling. Whether it was her childhood obesity campaign or her work with military families or her work on educating girls, it never came across as something she was doing just for show. She truly seemed to care. There was something inside of her that spurred her on and gave her the energy to keep working when others criticized her work.

It is difficult to really put the impact that this wonderful woman has had on my life. As I move into more uncertain times with the rest of the nation, I can only hold on to the hope that Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama gave all of us. They weren’t perfect, but they unselfishly gave themselves to this country. So all I can really say is this, sincerely and from the bottom of my heart: Thanks Michelle Obama. Thanks Obama.