Michelle Obama may be a former First Lady, but she is also a mother. These days, she’s dealing with the same issue that a lot of mothers her age find themselves dealing with: the thought of an empty nest. Fortunately for Mrs. Obama, she’s got enough on her plate that when the nest is actually empty, she’ll be fine. That and the fact that she’s eager for both of her daughters to get an education.
As People reports, Mrs. Obama sat down for an exclusive interview. Considering that high school seniors across the country are getting their college applications and that she is the mother of a high school senior preparing for college (younger daughter Sasha), the conversation turned to the topic of the dreaded empty nest.
Already, older daughter Malia has sprung from the Obama nest. After taking a gap year, as The Chicago Tribune reported at the time, during which she spent some time in South America, Malia went off to Harvard, where she’s now a sophomore. And now younger daughter Sasha, 17, will soon be going off somewhere.
You’d think Michelle would be looking towards that event with dread. She’s not – she’s actually happy about it.
Malia and Sasha Obama grew up right before our eyes into beautiful young women! #ABC2020 pic.twitter.com/R5Y1YJK1j9
— Stephanie. (@qsteph) November 12, 2018
For starters, Mrs. Obama says that Sasha is ready to go.
“That’s the rub of teenagers — they’re bumping up against the limits of where they are because they’re ready for the next thing,”
And of course, she’s all about education, women, and girls in particular.
“That’s how I feel with my girls: if they are ready for college, then I want them to go and I’m happy for them.”
There’s also the fact that Michelle has plenty on her plate to keep her busy once Sasha springs the nest. She’s got a book out next week – Becoming – and she’ll be plenty busy doing media for it. She and her husband, Barack, have the Obama Foundation to run. And, in keeping with her focus on championing education for girls and women, she’ll be busy with her Global Girls’ Alliance, which is itself an effort to protect and promote the education of girls worldwide.
And of course, should she ever get winsome, her daughters are just a phone call – or a quick flight – away.
“Unlike my parents, who dropped me off at college and just had a phone call, I text with my kids. I can text [Malia] right this second and know exactly what she’s thinking. I don’t feel like she’s away, I feel like she’s off on her next adventure, so I’m excited about her.”
