Over the past few years
as First Lady, I have had the extraordinary privilege of traveling all across
this country.
And everywhere I've gone,
in the people I've met, and the stories I've heard, I have seen the very best
of the American spirit.
I have seen it in the
incredible kindness and warmth that people have shown me and my family,
especially our girls. I've seen it in teachers in a near-bankrupt school district who vowed to keep teaching without pay.
I've seen it in people who become heroes at a moment's notice, diving into harm's way to save others...flying across the country to put out a fire...driving for hours to bail out a flooded town.
And I've seen it in our
men and women in uniform and our proud military families...in wounded warriors
who tell me they're not just going to walk again, they're going to run, and
they're going to run marathons...in the young man blinded by a bomb in
Afghanistan who said, simply, "...I'd give my eyes 100 times again to have
the chance to do what I have done and what I can still do."
Every day, the people I
meet inspire me...every day, they make me proud...every day they remind me how
blessed we are to live in the greatest nation on earth.
Serving as your First
Lady is an honor and a privilege...but back when we first came together four
years ago, I still had some concerns about this journey we'd begun.
While I believed deeply
in my husband's vision for this country and I was certain he would make an
extraordinary President like any mother, I was worried about what it would
mean for our girls if he got that chance.
How would we keep them
grounded under the glare of the national spotlight?
How would they feel being
uprooted from their school, their friends, and the only home they'd ever known?
Our life before moving to
Washington was filled with simple joys...Saturdays at soccer games, Sundays at
grandma's house...and a date night for Barack and me was either dinner or a
movie, because as an exhausted mom, I couldn't stay awake for both.
And the truth is, I loved
the life we had built for our girls...I deeply loved the man I had built that
life with...and I didn't want that to change if he became President.
I loved Barack just the
way he was.
You see, even though back
then Barack was a Senator and a presidential candidate...to me, he was still
the guy who'd picked me up for our dates in a car that was so rusted out, I
could actually see the pavement going by through a hole in the passenger side
door...he was the guy whose proudest possession was a coffee table he'd found
in a dumpster, and whose only pair of decent shoes was half a size too small.
But when Barack started
telling me about his family – that's when I knew I had found a kindred spirit,
someone whose values and upbringing were so much like mine.
You see, Barack and I
were both raised by families who didn't have much in the way of money or
material possessions but who had given us something far more valuable – their
unconditional love, their unflinching sacrifice, and the chance to go places
they had never imagined for themselves.
My father was a pump
operator at the city water plant, and he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis
when my brother and I were young.
And even as a kid, I knew
there were plenty of days when he was in pain...I knew there were plenty of
mornings when it was a struggle for him to simply get out of bed.
But every morning, I
watched my father wake up with a smile, grab his walker, prop himself up
against the bathroom sink, and slowly shave and button his uniform.
And when he returned home
after a long day's work, my brother and I would stand at the top of the stairs
to our little apartment, patiently waiting to greet him...watching as he
reached down to lift one leg, and then the other, to slowly climb his way into
our arms.
But despite these
challenges, my dad hardly ever missed a day of work...he and my mom were
determined to give me and my brother the kind of education they could only
dream of.
And when my brother and I
finally made it to college, nearly all of our tuition came from student loans
and grants.
But my dad still had to
pay a tiny portion of that tuition himself.
And every semester, he
was determined to pay that bill right on time, even taking out loans when he
fell short.
He was so proud to be
sending his kids to college...and he made sure we never missed a registration
deadline because his check was late.
You see, for my dad,
that's what it meant to be a man.
Like so many of us, that
was the measure of his success in life – being able to earn a decent living
that allowed him to support his family.
And as I got to know
Barack, I realized that even though he'd grown up all the way across the
country, he'd been brought up just like me.
Barack was raised by a
single mother who struggled to pay the bills, and by grandparents who stepped
in when she needed help.
Barack's grandmother
started out as a secretary at a community bank...and she moved quickly up the
ranks...but like so many women, she hit a glass ceiling.
And for years, men no
more qualified than she was – men she had actually trained – were promoted up
the ladder ahead of her, earning more and more money while Barack's family
continued to scrape by.
But day after day, she
kept on waking up at dawn to catch the bus...arriving at work before anyone
else...giving her best without complaint or regret.
And she would often tell
Barack, "So long as you kids do well, Bar, that's all that really
matters."
Like so many American
families, our families weren't asking for much.
They didn't begrudge
anyone else's success or care that others had much more than they did...in
fact, they admired it.
They simply believed in
that fundamental American promise that, even if you don't start out with much,
if you work hard and do what you're supposed to do, then you should be able to
build a decent life for yourself and an even better life for your kids and
grandkids.
That's how they raised
us...that's what we learned from their example.
We learned about dignity
and decency – that how hard you work matters more than how much you make...that
helping others means more than just getting ahead yourself.
We learned about honesty
and integrity – that the truth matters...that you don't take shortcuts or play
by your own set of rules...and success doesn't count unless you earn it fair
and square.
We learned about
gratitude and humility – that so many people had a hand in our success, from
the teachers who inspired us to the janitors who kept our school clean...and we
were taught to value everyone's contribution and treat everyone with respect.
Those are the values
Barack and I – and so many of you – are trying to pass on to our own children.
That's who we are.
And standing before you
four years ago, I knew that I didn't want any of that to change if Barack
became President.
Well, today, after so
many struggles and triumphs and moments that have tested my husband in ways I
never could have imagined, I have seen firsthand that being president doesn't
change who you are – it reveals who you are.
You see, I've gotten to
see up close and personal what being president really looks like.
And I've seen how the
issues that come across a President's desk are always the hard ones – the
problems where no amount of data or numbers will get you to the right
answer...the judgment calls where the stakes are so high, and there is no
margin for error.
And as President, you can
get all kinds of advice from all kinds of people.
But at the end of the
day, when it comes time to make that decision, as President, all you have to
guide you are your values, and your vision, and the life experiences that make
you who you are.
So when it comes to
rebuilding our economy, Barack is thinking about folks like my dad and like his
grandmother.
He's thinking about the
pride that comes from a hard day's work.
That's why he signed the
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to help women get equal pay for equal work.
That's why he cut taxes
for working families and small businesses and fought to get the auto industry
back on its feet.
That's how he brought our
economy from the brink of collapse to creating jobs again – jobs you can raise
a family on, good jobs right here in the United States of America.
When it comes to the
health of our families, Barack refused to listen to all those folks who told
him to leave health reform for another day, another president.
He didn't care whether it
was the easy thing to do politically – that's not how he was raised – he cared
that it was the right thing to do.
He did it because he
believes that here in America, our grandparents should be able to afford their
medicine...our kids should be able to see a doctor when they're sick...and no
one in this country should ever go broke because of an accident or illness.
And he believes that
women are more than capable of making our own choices about our bodies and our
health care...that's what my husband stands for.
When it comes to giving
our kids the education they deserve, Barack knows that like me and like so many
of you, he never could've attended college without financial aid.
And believe it or not,
when we were first married, our combined monthly student loan bills were
actually higher than our mortgage.
We were so young, so in
love, and so in debt.
That's why Barack has
fought so hard to increase student aid and keep interest rates down, because he
wants every young person to fulfill their promise and be able to attend college
without a mountain of debt.
So in the end, for
Barack, these issues aren't political – they're personal.
Because Barack knows what
it means when a family struggles.
He knows what it means to
want something more for your kids and grandkids.
Barack knows the American
Dream because he's lived it...and he wants everyone in this country to have
that same opportunity, no matter who we are, or where we're from, or what we
look like, or who we love.
And he believes that when
you've worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of
opportunity...you do not slam it shut behind you...you reach back, and you give
other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.
So when people ask me
whether being in the White House has changed my husband, I can honestly say
that when it comes to his character, and his convictions, and his heart, Barack
Obama is still the same man I fell in love with all those years ago.
He's the same man who
started his career by turning down high paying jobs and instead working in
struggling neighborhoods where a steel plant had shut down, fighting to rebuild
those communities and get folks back to work...because for Barack, success
isn't about how much money you make, it's about the difference you make in
people's lives.
He's the same man who,
when our girls were first born, would anxiously check their cribs every few
minutes to ensure they were still breathing, proudly showing them off to
everyone we knew.
That's the man who sits
down with me and our girls for dinner nearly every night, patiently answering
their questions about issues in the news, and strategizing about middle school
friendships.
That's the man I see in
those quiet moments late at night, hunched over his desk, poring over the
letters people have sent him.
The letter from the
father struggling to pay his bills...from the woman dying of cancer whose
insurance company won't cover her care...from the young person with so much
promise but so few opportunities.
I see the concern in his
eyes...and I hear the determination in his voice as he tells me, "You
won't believe what these folks are going through, Michelle...it's not right.
We've got to keep working to fix this. We've got so much more to do."
I see how those stories –
our collection of struggles and hopes and dreams – I see how that's what drives
Barack Obama every single day.
And I didn't think it was
possible, but today, I love my husband even more than I did four years
ago...even more than I did 23 years ago, when we first met.
I love that he's never
forgotten how he started.
I love that we can trust
Barack to do what he says he's going to do, even when it's hard – especially
when it's hard.
I love that for Barack,
there is no such thing as "us" and "them" – he doesn't care
whether you're a Democrat, a Republican, or none of the above...he knows that
we all love our country...and he's always ready to listen to good ideas...he's
always looking for the very best in everyone he meets.
And I love that even in
the toughest moments, when we're all sweating it – when we're worried that the
bill won't pass, and it seems like all is lost – Barack never lets himself get
distracted by the chatter and the noise.
Just like his
grandmother, he just keeps getting up and moving forward...with patience and
wisdom, and courage and grace.
And he reminds me that we
are playing a long game here...and that change is hard, and change is slow, and
it never happens all at once.
But eventually we get
there, we always do.
We get there because of
folks like my Dad...folks like Barack's grandmother...men and women who said to
themselves, "I may not have a chance to fulfill my dreams, but maybe my
children will...maybe my grandchildren will."
So many of us stand here
tonight because of their sacrifice, and longing, and steadfast love...because
time and again, they swallowed their fears and doubts and did what was hard.
So today, when the
challenges we face start to seem overwhelming – or even impossible – let us
never forget that doing the impossible is the history of this nation...it's who
we are as Americans...it's how this country was built.
And if our parents and
grandparents could toil and struggle for us...if they could raise beams of
steel to the sky, send a man to the moon, and connect the world with the touch
of a button...then surely we can keep on sacrificing and building for our own
kids and grandkids.
And if so many brave men
and women could wear our country's uniform and sacrifice their lives for our
most fundamental rights...then surely we can do our part as citizens of this great
democracy to exercise those rights...surely, we can get to the polls and make
our voices heard on Election Day.
If farmers and
blacksmiths could win independence from an empire...if immigrants could leave
behind everything they knew for a better life on our shores...if women could be
dragged to jail for seeking the vote...if a generation could defeat a
depression, and define greatness for all time...if a young preacher could lift
us to the mountaintop with his righteous dream...and if proud Americans can be
who they are and boldly stand at the altar with who they love...then surely,
surely we can give everyone in this country a fair chance at that great
American Dream.
Because in the end, more
than anything else, that is the story of this country – the story of unwavering
hope grounded in unyielding struggle.
That is what has made my
story, and Barack's story, and so many other American stories possible.
And I say all of this
tonight not just as First Lady...and not just as a wife.
You see, at the end of
the day, my most important title is still "mom-in-chief."
My daughters are still
the heart of my heart and the center of my world.
But today, I have none of
those worries from four years ago about whether Barack and I were doing what's
best for our girls.
Because today, I know
from experience that if I truly want to leave a better world for my daughters,
and all our sons and daughters...if we want to give all our children a
foundation for their dreams and opportunities worthy of their promise...if we
want to give them that sense of limitless possibility – that belief that here
in America, there is always something better out there if you're willing to
work for it...then we must work like never before...and we must once again come
together and stand together for the man we can trust to keep moving this great
country forward...my husband, our President, President Barack Obama.
Thank you, God bless you,
and God bless America.
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