10 Marriage Lessons the Obamas Can Teach Us

Sure they have had their share of challenges, all couples do, but you never hear the First Lady laughing in agreement when someone says something negative about her husband. I imagine there are decisions that he has made that they don’t see eye to eye on but she isn’t calling him out on it the way some of us do with our own partners. And if she ever does say, “I told you so,” she does it in private. The two of them operate as a team supporting one another. When we see them together we see them united.

In an interview with
Ladies Home Journal President Obama stated, “I would never make big decisions without asking her opinion. Certainly about my career and my life.” The President understands that he is in a relationship with another human being and therefore should take into account her thoughts and feelings.

Think about how critical this is in your own relationships. What if your spouse accepted a job offer in another state without consulting with you first? Just because you might feel like you are making the right decision doesn’t mean it is a decision you should make on your own.

President Obama had a dream; he wanted to be the President of the United States and now he would like to be the President for a second term. The First Lady has supported him in his dream every step of the way. Imagine what his campaign may have looked like if his wife was never at events or conventions, if she was not willing to speak to the public or participate in interviews or if she was not willing to leave their former home and move to the White House?

In turn rather than trying to create an agenda for her, President Obama has been supportive of the First Lady starting her own projects such as
Let’s Move! and other programs that have allowed her to continue to partake in service, something she has spoken on feeling very strongly about.

According to
The White House’s website, if you ask the First Lady to describe herself she will begin by saying that she is Malia and Sasha's mom. The President and the First Lady insist on making time for their family. President Obama’s intentions are to be a hands on father and as a result he is willing to forgo various engagements in order to ensure that he has time to be with his family. During an interview with
CNN he stated, "Sometimes Michelle and I not doing the circuit and going out to dinners with folks is perceived as us being cool." He continued stating, "It actually really has more to do with us being parents."

While there are numerous things the President and First Lady could be doing with all their time, they make sure that time spent with their children, as a family, is always their top priority. They seem to realize that their first obligation is not to the United States of America but to the two children they brought into this world.

How often do you hear the President or First Lady talking about how wonderful their spouse is or how lucky they are? They compliment one another regularly and do not keep their love and admiration for one another a secret! They are both proud and grateful to be together. They have told the world this but most importantly they have told each other.

In an interview with
TV One, the First Lady spoke to the fact that having a date over dinner allowed them to talk. Many of us do a good job at carving out time for our children but struggle to do the same for our spouse. After 20 years of marriage, the President and First Lady are still going out on dates on a regular basis.

The Huffington Post featured a beautiful round up of moments between the President and First Lady such as how during the 2012 Olympics they were seen kissing on the “Kiss Cam” and his embracing of her following her speech at the 2012 Democratic Convention. The two are comfortable with appropriate public displays of their affection.

During her speech at the Democratic Convention, the First Lady stated, “I love my husband even more than I did four years ago...even more than I did 23 years ago, when we first met.” During the Presidential Debate, President Obama wished his “sweetie” a happy anniversary sharing that they had been married for 20 years. They also tweeted each other earlier that day. More Obama PDA moments
here.

Life can be tough. We all know that and yet in the midst of everything we are going through there is always a reason to smile. It is not unusual to see a photo or video clip of the President and First Lady laughing or smiling. Their lightheartedness and sense of humor seemingly unscathed by the challenges they have faced.

It is easy to get comfortable and stop making the same effort you did to maintain your appearance after getting married. Getting caught up in the day to day responsibilities that come with family life can often prevent us from making self care a priority and yet somehow these two manage to do it. Twenty years since they first said “I do” and they are still just as lovely and handsome as ever.

“Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction” ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

As cliché as it sounds marriages can last but it takes work. I imagine for the President and First Lady the journey to their 20th wedding anniversary, which they celebrated this year, wasn’t filled with all rainbows and butterflies. What I do believe is that they had enough to withstand the test of time — enough love and enough respect for each other. I find it encouraging seeing a couple that has spent such a huge portion of their lifetime loving one another and with no intentions of stopping.