Michelle Obama is getting unusually candid about the less glamorous side of marriage, motherhood and everyday adult life.
The former first lady, 62, opened up about the subject during the latest episode of her “IMO” podcast with older brother Craig Robinson, arguing that people have to learn how to push through periods of life that simply are not enjoyable.
Her comments came while answering a listener named Rachel, a 26-year-old from San Diego who said she was frustrated at work and struggling to convince her boss she was ready for greater responsibility.
Obama told the young woman that discomfort does not necessarily mean she is in the wrong place.
She said there is an important difference between being somewhere that is genuinely draining you and simply going through a period where you are unhappy because you are still learning.
That led Obama into a broader point about adulthood.
“The process isn’t always fun and doesn’t have to be,” she said, before arguing that learning to endure those stretches is a major part of life.
Obama then pointed to some very personal examples.
Being a mother, a parent and a partner can all include stretches that are neither exciting nor especially fulfilling, she said, adding that even routine responsibilities such as paying bills fall into the same category.
Her larger message was about resilience rather than dissatisfaction with her own family.
Obama said much of adulthood involves learning how to sustain yourself through things you do not particularly enjoy rather than expecting every stage of life to feel rewarding.
The full episode, “Embracing a New Era with H.E.R.,” is available through the official “IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson” podcast feed. The episode primarily features singer and actress H.E.R., but closes with Michelle and Robinson responding to Rachel’s career question.
Obama’s comments are also consistent with things she has said publicly for years about marriage and parenting.
During a 2023 interview with Gayle King on “CBS Mornings,” Obama said she deliberately talks about the difficult parts of her marriage because younger couples can sometimes develop unrealistic expectations about long-term relationships.
She said marriage requires compromise and warned that compromise is not always enjoyable. She also spoke openly about the added strain that raising children can place on a couple.
Viewers can watch that earlier interview directly through CBS Mornings’ official YouTube channel.
Michelle and Barack Obama married in October 1992 and have two daughters, Malia and Sasha.
Michelle has previously described their daughters’ younger years as one of the more difficult periods of the marriage, explaining in a 2022 interview that balancing parenting and two demanding careers created tension between the couple.
Rather than portraying that period as evidence the marriage had failed, Obama has repeatedly used it to make the opposite point — that long-term relationships can include difficult years without those years defining the entire relationship.
More recently, she has also joked about enjoying her independence now that her daughters are grown.
During an August 26 episode of “IMO” featuring Jon Stewart, Obama said Barack was emotional when their daughters left for college, while she was much more ready to embrace the empty-nest stage.
When Stewart talked about missing the structure that came with raising children at home, Obama said she was happy with her current schedule and the freedom of having it largely to herself.
Apple Podcasts confirms the Jon Stewart episode was released August 26 and centered in part on balancing work and family life.
Taken together, Obama’s latest remarks appear to continue a theme she has returned to repeatedly: family life can be deeply meaningful without every part of it being enjoyable, and discomfort by itself does not always mean something has gone wrong.
Leave a Reply