Michelle Obama revealed a very surprising comment her husband and formerPresident Barack Obama told her after her mother Marian Robinson died.
During a conversation with her brother Craig Robinson, 63, on the IMO podcast on May 7, Michelle, 61, revealed that “Barack was saying, you know, ‘Well, you’re next up’ ” shortly after her mother’s death.
“I was like, ‘I’m not really ready to be next up,’ ” she explained. “I told him, ‘You’re next up and Craig is next up.’ I delegate that power to you.”
Michelle and Craig’s mother died back in May 2024, which Michelle confirmed on social media. The pair also reflected on the impact their mother’s death had on them almost one year after her passing and revealed “That’s really when you become an adult.”
“Its when your parents are not in that spot of managing and maintaining,” Michelle continued. “That’s going to happen at some point where each of us in our own lives, we become the parent, we become the convener, we become the glue.”
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“The listeners should know that mom’s been threatening to drop dead for 20 years,” Craig added. “She has been preparing us for this. So, she left very direct instructions on what she wanted and how she wanted things to be. We had to take that into account.”
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Michelle and Craig previously lost their father Fraser C. Robinson III back in 1991 and as they reflected on the loss of both of their parents, they noted that they both left “big shoes to fill” after their respective deaths.
“It’s a major shift in your life,” Michelle explained. “I don’t care how old you get. Mom and dad are mom and dad. Even when I was taking care of mom, I still gotta listen to her. I can sort of boss her around but in the end, she’s my mother.”
Michelle concluded that “There’s a comfort level in that, knowing that no matter how wise or experienced I am in the world, mom always knew more.”
Related: Michelle Obama Sends a Clear Message About Her Marriage
