President Obama has been married to First Lady Michelle Obama for almost 25 years. That’s quite an accomplishment! In 1996, just four years into their union, the couple spoke candidly with photographer Mariana Cook.
Cook was working on a series of profiles highlighting couples across America.
The conversation produced a rare look into the lives and relationship of the Obamas. Even then, the President was well-aware of what made his wife and marriage great.
The First Lady is more than meets the eye.
“Michelle is a tremendously strong person, and has a very strong sense of herself and who she is and where she comes from. But I also think in her eyes you can see a trace of vulnerability that most people don’t know, because when she’s walking through the world she is this tall, beautiful, confident woman. There is a part of her that is vulnerable and young and sometimes frightened, and I think seeing both of those things is what attracted me to her.”
They are strong together and apart.
“And then what sustains our relationship is I’m extremely happy with her, and part of it has to do with the fact that she is at once completely familiar to me, so that I can be myself and she knows me very well and I trust her completely, but at the same time she is also a complete mystery to me in some ways. And there are times when we are lying in bed and I look over and sort of have a start. Because I realize here is this other person who is separate and different and has different memories and backgrounds and thoughts and feelings. It’s that tension between familiarity and mystery that makes for something strong, because, even as you build a life of trust and comfort and mutual support, you retain some sense of surprise or wonder about the other person.”
Teamwork makes the dream work.
A lot has changed since the Obamas did this interview. They welcomed two daughters, Malia and Sasha and embarked on a political career. The latter leading to the highest position of them all–President of the United States of America.
But no matter the title, their relationship philosophy has stayed the same and it shows!
The Obamas are obviously on to something.
