by Dee Dee
We’ve all had water cooler discussions about our new president, Barack Obama, but what about our just-as-famous First Lady, Michelle… Is she fabulous or what? She has definitely got the right stuff. And lately she’s been the talk of the town.
Being the wife of the President comes with enormous challenges, even more so if you have children. You certainly must have the ability to effectively take multi-tasking to another level. Michelle Obama appears to be doing very well in that area. In the first two months since becoming our nation’s first African American first lady, Michelle has certainly not been sitting on her laurels. She has visited schools and read to children, walked the halls of the VA hospital, introduced herself to cabinet-level execs at federal agencies, served food in a soup kitchen, posed for her official White House portrait, given speeches to military wives, and planted a garden on the White House grounds. She’s also been applauded for her fashion choices, yet criticized for baring her arms. Yes, those long, beautiful, well-toned arms that have graced the covers of dozens of magazines – even the haters know they want them too.
One title that Michelle Obama cherishes is “Mom-In-Chief”. She is truly a hands-on mother, involved in every aspect of Malia and Sasha’s lives. Although she moved her own mother into the White House to assist in their care, Mrs. Obama was quoted during her husband’s campaign, saying her girls are “the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning, and the last thing I think about when I go to bed.” A lot of people have been critical about Mrs. Robinson (Michelle’s mother) moving into the White House. Surely these can’t be black folk doing the criticizing. We all know “Grandmama” helped raise many of us. When I first heard that the president’s mother-in-law would be moving into the First Residence, I gave one of my coworkers an Obama fist-bump and told her I would have done the same thing. The decision seemed to be good for everyone involved. Mrs. Robinson had already been helping to care for the girls back in Chicago, taking them back and forth to school during their father’s run for president. Furthermore, if your husband has the most high-profile job in the world, who wouldn’t need help with the children? And who better to help than your own mother?
The Obamas have amazed people they’ve met in person and millions of television viewers all over the world. They have stepped way outside of the box of the typical Washington political family, and they definitely don’t fit the mold of a traditional First Family. Michelle is as down to earth as they come. She’s not afraid to hug a head of state, or kiss her husband in public. She greets everyone with a genuine smile and makes them feel as if they are the most important person in the room. We all know the media has a way of showing people in a certain light, presenting a one-sided view of them and persuading us to believe a particular way about them. But I really believe in my heart that Barack and Michelle Obama are people who truly want to change America. They want us to see them as the real people they are, just like you and me. Remember when a reporter asked the President why it took a couple of days before he expressed outrage over the AIG bonuses? Obama looked him in the eyes and said confidently, "because I like to know what I'm talking about before I speak." Then moved on to the next question. I absolutely loved it !
Michelle Obama has said she wants to make the issues of working mothers and military wives a top priority on her agenda. I think those are excellent choices to begin with. Working mothers need a role model, someone they can look up to and emulate. Michelle may be Ivy League educated, having attended Princeton University and Harvard Law School, but she is also well-grounded, experienced and in touch with the issues of working mothers. She is compassionate and caring, and military wives, many of them working mothers also, will be well served with Michelle as their advocate.
I am very proud that we have a first lady for the people. She is a champion for the underprivileged and that is just one of the many things that make her a phenomenal woman. She is the epitome of what this column is all about. She keeps it really real!
