Barack and Michelle Obama may well have been the most recognized public faces in the White House during his two terms as president, but the former first lady has now revealed that it was her mother, Marian Shield Robinson, who was the most 'beloved figure' in the household - at least behind the scenes.
The 54-year-old revealed her mother's revered status as the pair sat down for a candid discussion with CBS's Gayle King - Marian's first ever televised interview, during which she also revealed that she insisted on doing her own laundry throughout the eight years that she lived in the White House.
'It was a huge adjustment,' she said of life at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. 'As a matter of fact, I had talked [the White House staff] into allowing me to do my own laundry.'
Close bond: Michelle Obama and her mother Marian Shields Robinson discussed what life was life in the White House during an interview with CBS
Special: The former first lady, 54, revealed that her mother, 81, was the most 'beloved figure' in the White House, while Marian confessed that she insisted on doing her own laundry
And it wasn't just Marian who was busy laundering her own clothes; she also ensured that her granddaughters, Malia and Sasha, now 20 and 17, learned the valuable life skill too.
'She taught the girls how to do their laundry,' Michelle revealed. 'They would go upstairs for laundry lessons. They learned how to use the machine.'
It was actually Malia and Sasha's well being that led to Marian's decision to move into the White House in the first place - not necessarily to give them laundry lessons, but certainly to ensure that they were able to maintain some semblance of a normal life.
'I felt like this was going to be a very hard life for both of them,' Marian told Gayle of her granddaughters, who were seven and ten when their father took over as President of the United States.
'[I] was worried about their safety,' she added. 'I was worried about my grandkids.'
Having her mother by her side as the family's adjusted to life in the spotlight helped Michelle to cope with the pressure of her new role as first lady, as well as the huge change in her daughter's day-to-day routines.
'I wanted them to come home to family….there was just parts of the girls' lives that I just knew were going to be okay 'cause Mom was there,' she said.
'When I traveled internationally, grandma was there. When I wasn't home at the end of the day, grandma was there. When the kids were still little and they needed to have someone be with them in school.
'I mean, you think about my girls were being driven around in a motorcade of three cars with at least four grown adults with guns in each of those cars. And I just thought that that's an unnatural way for a little 2nd grader to go to school.
'Well, Mom would ride in the car with her to make it feel like a regular carpool.'
Support: Marian, who has never before appeared in an on-screen interview, explained that she initially moved into the White House in order to look after her grandkids, Malia and Sasha
'Beloved': According to Michelle, who is pictured with Barack and her mother at the White House in 2011, Marian was the most 'beloved figure' in the household
Marian's close family were not the only ones to benefit from her presence in the White House, however.
According to her daughter, Marian quickly became the most 'beloved figure' in the household, and had a 'stream' of staff members regularly paying her visits, often in order to ask the matriarch for some sage advice.
'She had a stream of people. The butlers, the housekeepers. They would all stop by... Grandma's room was like the confessional,' Michelle recalled.
'You know, everyone would go there and just unload, you know? And then they'd leave.'
Despite since returning to Chicago, where she brought up Michelle and her brother Craig, Marian still holds a special place in the hearts of those who knew her during Obama's two terms in the White House - and many 'still visit with her in Chicago', her daughter revealed.
However, while Marian is happy to maintain contact with the friends that she made in Washington, D.C., describing them as being 'like family to her', she says she doesn't miss life in the White House one bit - nor does Michelle.
'The eight years was more than enough,' the former first lady said.
'And what I realized over the years is that home is where we are, you know? And the White House happened to be our home for eight years. But we took all that love and energy, and we just moved it to another house.'
Day-to-day life: Marian helped to give Sasha (far left) and Malia (second from left) as much normalcy as possible, even accompanying them to school to make it feel like a 'carpool'
Companion: The former first lady's mother (pictured front during a 2011 vacation in South Africa) would often accompany the family on trips around the world
Tight-knit: Michelle has always been close with her parents, Marian and Fraser, and has frequently praised her mother for giving her such a solid upbringing
Giving her daughters an opportunity to live more of a normal life has also no doubt proven a blessing for Michelle - and her mother - both of whom were incredibly concerned about how the girls would cope as first daughters.
In an interview with her close friend George W. Bush's daughter Jenna for Today, the former first lady further opened up about what her daughters went through during their time in the White House.
She admitted that it was difficult to see her girls having to live their lives in the public eye, despite not asking for that attention.
'You want your kids to grow up normal,' she said. 'You want them to be able to have the wonderful experiences privately. And you want them to be able to fail and stumble privately. Like any other kids.
'You know, it's an odd thing for the world to see you transition from a child to a young woman. And so they've grown up. And they've had their stumbles, and they've had their triumphs.'
Michelle then went on to thank Jenna and her sister for helping her own children adjust to life in the White House, particularly when they visited their former home in order to give its new young residents a personal tour.
'You guys [Jenna and Barbara] took that time and flew in, and gave them the kids' tour of the White House,' Michelle recalled. 'You made them feel excited about this strange and scary thing that was about to happen to them.
When Jenna told her that one of the hardest thing for her own mother was to hear Jenna and Barbara criticized — she said it 'crushed her' — Michelle agreed that that was especially tough.
Like any mother, she wanted her kids to be able to grow up privately and experience any failures or hiccups behind closed doors.
Link hienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2018/11/14/michelle-obamas-mother-marian-insisted-on-doing-her-own-laundry-in-the-white-house/
Main photo article Barack and Michelle Obama may well have been the most recognized public faces in the White House during his two terms as president, but the former first lady has now revealed that it was her mother, Marian Shield Robinson, who was the most ‘beloved figure’ in the household – at...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/11/14/15/6179084-6389355-image-m-25_1542210277310.jpg
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий