Former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama says her realisation that her husband Barrack Obama can’t be wholly responsible for her happiness was what made their marriage “better.”
She explained that it took her a while to learn that they can’t be “everything” to each other.
The mother of two, while appearing in the latest episode of The On Purpose podcast, stated that she initially thought partnership was about constant communication but reality dawned on her as her husband was not always available.
She said, “It took me a while to learn that there’s no way we could be everything to each other. We’ve different interests, different goals.
“There was this stage in my marriage where I thought that’s what a partner was supposed to be. You know, you should call me all the time. We should talk all the time. We should be each other’s best friends all the time. Our marriage got better when I got better about that. Because I think he already had that independence. This notion of I love you even if I don’t talk to you today.
“As I got older, more mature and more clear about my own goals, I realised that he can’t be responsible for my happiness. I’ve to be responsible for that. And I’ve to define it for myself. I’ve to learn how to achieve it. My husband is definitely a part of that but I cannot put him in the center of my happiness. That freed me up to let him be him and let me be me.”
