Michelle Obama on how Barack changed her life: 'He taught me the art of the swerve'
Michelle Obama is opening up about marriage and family.
The former first lady is featured in the May issue of O magazine, answering 20 questions from guest columnist Stephen Colbert. Michelle, who now helms Higher Ground Productions with Barack in addition to their philanthropic work, talked about her spouse and their college-age daughters.
Asked the one thing in life she’s most happy she did, Michelle answered, “Getting married and having kids. Life with Barack, Malia and Sasha has been one grand adventure, and I’m so proud of the two brilliant, bold young women that Barack and I raised.”
She credits the former president with changing her life for the better.
“Before I met Barack, I was all about checking off the next box — law school, law firm, nice car,” which she wrote about in her 2018 book Becoming. However, the then aspiring politico “taught me the art of the swerve, how to take life as it comes and follow your passions wherever they lead.”
As for how she defines the term “soul mate,” Michelle said of the man she married in 1992, “Someone who’s committed to growing with you, who doesn’t let you off the hook when you want to give up on a big dream or play it safe.”
She also called her mom, Marian Robinson, her hero, “rock” and “guiding light,” and shouted-out former first pets, Bo and Sunny, who she said she didn’t know what she’d do without.
The bulk of the interview took place before the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. and people started to isolate and practice social distance, so she followed up sharing an update about life in quarantine.
“Right now it’s my home,” she said after being asked to name her favorite place on earth. “It’s been an adjustment, but I'm so grateful to be able to do work I’m passionate about — and catch up with my girlfriends — just fine from my living room.”
Michelle went on to praise all the “essential workers who are risking their lives on our behalf,” saying they’ve given her hope.
“I think we all need to be courageous right now,” she said. “And whenever I have moments of fear or anxiety, I try to find ways to connect with others. I might call someone who I know is struggling and just let them know that I’m thinking of them. That simple act of reaching out lifts my spirits, too.”
She also praised other Americans who have stepped up to help elderly and at-risk neighbors.
”This pandemic is teaching us how interconnected we really are, and long after this is over, I hope we can remember that we are so much stronger when we are working together,” she said.
For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC and WHO’s resource guides.
How to maintain your physical and mental health during the pandemic
Taking care of a loved one with COVID-19? Here’s how to stay healthy
Q&A with Dr. Kavita Patel: How to keep your family safe and maintain your mental health
Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
