Michelle Obama flashes a smile on the cover of Good Housekeeping‘s January issue, available December 11th.
Here’s what the 54-year-old former First Lady had to say when she was interviewed by friend Oprah Winfrey:
On one of the most fun days she had at the White House: “It’s impossible to single out one day, because there were so many good ones, but something that always made me feel good was being around children and young people…We made sure that kids—ordinary kids, not just the kids of a donor or a Congressman—had access to folks like Justin Timberlake, Janelle Monáe and Smokey Robinson talking about the doubts and struggles they fought through, giving their time to inspire young people. I’d walk away from those events so hopeful. Who knows what dreams these kids could have for themselves after that?”
On how she’d compare her own adolescence with her daughters’ experiences: “There’s a lot that’s universal. Malia and I were talking recently about all the little things we’d stress over in junior high and high school—whether we’re wearing the right clothes, a snarky comment somebody made about us, the boys we crushed on, and on and on and on. We laughed about how many hours were spent inside our heads, hoping a boy would ask us to dance, or stewing over a big test, just doing everything we could to avoid even the most minor embarrassments. When I was younger, I often wondered whether this kind of obsessive thinking was unique to me and my girlfriends, but I realize now that it was something every girl feels.”
On how much sleep she gets now versus when she was FLOTUS: “Thankfully, more (and it’s more regular). I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity that living in the White House afforded us, but it probably won’t come as a surprise to anyone that sometimes it was a real challenge to keep up with the pace. We’d be launching an initiative, or crisscrossing the country for campaign events, or visiting a community that was hurting from a tornado or a senseless shooting—sometimes all in a two- or three-day span. Then, on top of the demands of our schedules, I’d usually need to wake up long before Barack to get my hair and makeup done and dress for a public event. I laugh about how easy it was for Barack to choose his wardrobe—tie or no tie? ‘What do you think, honey, should I roll up my sleeves?’ These days, I’m more in control of my time.”
For more from Michelle, visit GoodHousekeeping.com.
