By Chelsey Wilkins
Beyonce is not the only one who can “Upgrade U”! It’s no surprise that our very own FLOTUS has the power to upgrade her man as well. It’s all revealed in the upcoming April 2013 issue of Vogue where Obama admits, “Michelle’s like Beyoncé in that song, ‘Let me upgrade ya!’ She upgraded me.”
Although First Lady Michelle Obama appears in the issue solo, the interview is actually shared with her husband of 20 years. President Obama even sticks around to pose for a picture alongside his wife. Inside the magazine, the two share very intimate details about their marriage and how they maintain a healthy relationship while dealing with the stresses and pressures of being in the limelight as the First Family.
The First Couple revealed what they##Q##ve learned from each other in their many years together.
Michelle Obama: Well, patience and calm I’m borrowing. Or trying to mirror. I’ve learned that from my husband, that sort of, you know, ability to not get too high or too low with changes and bumps in the road . . . to do more breathing in and just going with it. I’m learning that every day. And to the extent that I’ve made changes in my life, it’s just sort of stepping back and seeing a change not as something to guard against but as a wonderful addition . . . that can make life fun and unexpected. Oftentimes, it’s the way we react to change that is the thing that determines the overall experience. So I’ve learned to let go and enjoy it and take it in and not take things too personally.”
President Obama: And what Michelle has done is to remind me every day of the virtues of order. Being on time. Hanging up your clothes. Being intentional about planning time with your kids. In some ways I think . . . we’re very different people, and some of that’s temperamental, some of it is how we grew up. Michelle grew up in a model nuclear family: mom, dad, brother. . . . She just has these deep, wonderful roots. When you go back to Chicago, she’s got family everywhere. . . . There’s just a warmth and a sense of belonging. And you know, that’s not how I grew up.
I had this far-flung family, father left at a very young age, a stepfather who ended up passing away as well. My mother was this wonderful spirit, and she was adventurous but not always very well organized. And, so, what that means is that I’m more comfortable with change and adventure and trying new things, but the downside of it is, sometimes—particularly when we were early on in our marriage—I wasn’t always thinking about the fact that my free-spirited ways might be having an impact on the person I’m with. And conversely, early in our marriage, Michelle provided this sense of stability and clarity and certainty about things, but sometimes she resisted trying something new just because it might seem a little scary or push her out of her comfort zone. I think what we’ve learned from each other is that sense of.
