Being able to finally take a deep breath outdoors on a nice day is something that most people take for granted, but not first lady Michelle Obama, who says she has a new appreciation for just being able to walk out in her yard.
Michelle Obama says that it’s “the small things” that she now appreciates more than ever says Time Magazine . She says there are simple pleasures in her post-White House life that she now embraces.
“It’s opening up my door and walking out and enjoying the weather and sitting on my patio. It’s going to my girls’ game and just really being a mom.”
Obama says that after living in the White House for eight years she’s reevaluated the keys to a successful marriage “out in the real world” or at least her real world now.
“One of the keys to a successful marriage is separate bathrooms. When he enters my bathroom sometimes I’m like, ‘Why are you in here?’ And he’s like, ‘I live here, can I enjoy my bathroom too?’”
The former first lady says that she was concerned that her daughters would come out of the White House experience “normal,” and she says she is relieved that they are.
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“They’ve spent the majority of their life in the international spotlight, with all the criticisms and the judgments. But they are down to earth, they are humble, they are normal. It has been a huge relief.”
The Chicago Tribune says that now that Michelle Obama has recovered from the ups and downs of the 24-hour news cycle with an extended vacation at which time she focused on her roles as mother, wife, and author.
Friends like White House advisor Valerie Jarrett say that now Michelle Obama is free to have an identity away from her husband’s career.
“The possibilities are infinite. Now she’s able to lead her best life and to create and own it in her own image.”
Obama has written a book called Becoming , and she will set out on her book tour on November 13. The book is an honest look at her time as the first African-American first lady.
“We did not have the luxury to make mistakes. [The book depicts] the ordinariness of an extraordinary story.”
Melissa Winter, Michelle Obama’s chief of staff, says that she’s thrilled that Obama can finally call the shots once again in her life.
“She’s earned this phase in her life where she can make more of her own decisions. There were always duties in the White House that she was required to perform as First Lady. She doesn’t have to do that stuff anymore.”
