D.T. Carson
Was she selling books or just being honest and candid? That’s the question some are asking following recent remarks by Michelle Obama concerning her marriage that have got the internet in a tizzy.
In an intimate Instagram post over the weekend former First Lady Michelle Obama—who is in the midst of promoting her second book, “The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times”— opened up about the challenges of marriage and the discord and discomfort that come with it.
“As an adult, I’ve lived in a number of places, but as far as I’m concerned, I’ve only ever had one real home,” Obama wrote. “My home is my family. My home is Barack. But here’s the thing—our marriage has never been perfectly 50-50. One of us is always needing more or giving more. We have to be willing to listen to each other, honestly and without defensiveness. Only then, can we evolve together.
“Over the years,” she continued, “a lot of young people have asked me about marriage and my response usually goes something like this: You have to prepare yourself for long stretches of discord and discomfort. You have to learn how to make real compromises in the way you’ve lived as an individual. Glamorizing a relationship while you’re dating will lead you straight to difficulty once you’re married. You can’t paper over problems when you’re living with someone day in and day out.”
“So, you’ve got to ask yourself: What are you trying to get out of this relationship? Have you truly thought it through? Do you want a wedding or do you want a lifelong partnership? Those are two very different things. Together, you are answering the question: Who are we and who do we want to be?”