"Michelle Obama" by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
When great things come to an end, we tend to gain a deeper and clearer sense of appreciation than ever had before. With the 2016 election just around the corner and who knows what to follow, here’s our invitation to take a moment and give a much-deserved round of applause (and new found respect) to our down-right inspirational First Lady.
Not just our First Lady – A young mother, social service hero & private sector lawyer.
The following are 8 reasons to be awed by Mrs. Obama -
1. Michelle (and her older brother) skipped the 2nd grade.
Michelle was born into a Chicagoland family and raised with value placed on education. By the 6th grade, Michelle enrolled in a gifted student program and began taking advanced French & Biology courses.
2. Michelle was Barack’s mentor while he was a summer intern at the Chicago office of the law firm Sidley Austin.
He often expressed his adoration for her while she flattered him with not a glance in return, as she thought it would be inappropriate in their work setting. It wasn’t long before Michelle relented and Barack turned this hot mamma into Mrs. Obama. Two years post-internship, they were pronounced husband and wife.
3. First Lady, Second Degree.
Not only was she the first African-American first lady upon Obama’s Election Day victory in 2008, she also became the third ever with a post-graduate degree.
4. TWO Ivy League degrees – let me restate that. TWICE the Ivy League, TWICE the degree.
Mrs. Obama attended Princeton University (like her older brother), graduating cum laude in 1985, and went on to earn a degree from Harvard Law School in 1988.
5. Michelle wasn’t always sold on the idea of Barack becoming president.
Having two young daughters, Malia born in ’98 and Sasha in ’01, Michelle often had to juggle the demands of motherhood and the working-woman life while Barack was away in Springfield (IL – the capital) tending to business. When Barack decided to enter the presidential race shortly after, Michelle had concerns that it may take away from family time and jeopardize their daughters’ experiences early in life.
“When I get up and work out, I'm working out just as much for my girls as I am for me, because I want them to see a mother who loves them dearly, who invests in them, but who also invests in herself. It's just as much about letting them know as young women that it is okay to put yourself a little higher on your priority list.”
6. Once she realized the campaign could be of advantage to their family and benefit of the nation, Michelle jumped on board and sought to tie her own agendas to her husband’s larger legislative goals.
"My first priority will always be to make sure that our girls are healthy and grounded," Michelle said. "Then I want to help other families get the support they need, not just to survive, but to thrive."
It was Michelle who brought forth motives to support military families and encouraged healthy eating across the nation, in efforts to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity. In her valiant surges, our fine First Lady co-founded the Joining Forces program to expand educational and employment options for veterans and to raise awareness about the difficulties plaguing military families. Meanwhile, launching the Let’s Move! Initiative to promote healthy eating and physical activity. Michelle also established the first community-service program at the University of Chicago as Dean of Student services before embarking on the campaign trail.
7. She's best mates with Prince Harry.
Both are committed to making us confront uncomfortable truths about the world (while providing genius insights and solutions) in order to make our planet a better place to live, and boy do they do the job well.
8. She’s 52. She looks incredible.
“Women in particular need to keep an eye on their physical and mental health, because if we're scurrying to and from appointments and errands, we don't have a lot of time to take care of ourselves. We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own "to do" list.”
Michelle continues to motivate us as women, as Americans, as human-beings.
“You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world's problems at once but don't ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.”
Sources:
http://www.biography.com/people/michelle-obama-307592
http://www.history.com/topics/first-ladies/michelle-obama
http://thetab.com/us/2016/06/02/michelle-obama-role-model-america-needs-9218
http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/blogs/545340/and-here-s-why-michelle-obama-is-a-total-inspiration.html