Thank
you so much, Elaine... we are so grateful for your family's service and
sacrifice... and we will always have your back.
Over
the past few years as First Lady, I have had the extraordinary privilege of
traveling all across this country.
And
everywhere I've gone, in the people I've met, and the stories I've heard, I
have seen the very best of the American spirit.
I
have seen it in the incredible kindness and warmth that people have shown me
and my family, especially our girls.
I've
seen it in teachers in a near-bankrupt school district who vowed to keep
teaching without pay.
I've
seen it in people who become heroes at a moment's notice, diving into harm's
way to save others...flying across the country to put out a fire...driving for
hours to bail out a flooded town.
And
I've seen it in our men and women in uniform and our proud military
families...in wounded warriors who tell me they're not just going to walk
again, they're going to run, and they're going to run marathons...in the young
man blinded by a bomb in Afghanistan who said, simply, "...I'd give my
eyes 100 times again to have the chance to do what I have done and what I can
still do."
Every
day, the people I meet inspire me...every day, they make me proud...every day
they remind me how blessed we are to live in the greatest nation on earth.
Serving
as your First Lady is an honor and a privilege...but back when we first came
together four years ago, I still had some concerns about this journey we'd
begun.
While
I believed deeply in my husband's vision for this country...and I was certain
he would make an extraordinary President...like any mother, I was worried about
what it would mean for our girls if he got that chance.
How
would we keep them grounded under the glare of the national spotlight?
PBS
NewsHour/YouTube
First
lady Michelle Obama addresses the DNC after being introduced by military mom
Elaine Brye, from PBS NewsHour.
How
would they feel being uprooted from their school, their friends, and the only
home they'd ever known?
Our
life before moving to Washington was filled with simple joys...Saturdays at
soccer games, Sundays at grandma's house...and a date night for Barack and me
was either dinner or a movie, because as an exhausted mom, I couldn't stay
awake for both.
And
the truth is, I loved the life we had built for our girls...I deeply loved the
man I had built that life with...and I didn't want that to change if he became
President.
I
loved Barack just the way he was.
You
see, even though back then Barack was a Senator and a presidential
candidate...to me, he was still the guy who'd picked me up for our dates in a
car that was so rusted out, I could actually see the pavement going by through
a hole in the passenger side door...he was the guy whose proudest possession
was a coffee table he'd found in a dumpster, and whose only pair of decent
shoes was half a size too small.
But
when Barack started telling me about his family – that's when I knew I had
found a kindred spirit, someone whose values and upbringing were so much like
mine.
You
see, Barack and I were both raised by families who didn't have much in the way
of money or material possessions but who had given us something far more
valuable – their unconditional love, their unflinching sacrifice, and the
chance to go places they had never imagined for themselves.
My
father was a pump operator at the city water plant, and he was diagnosed with
Multiple Sclerosis when my brother and I were young.
And
even as a kid, I knew there were plenty of days when he was in pain...I knew
there were plenty of mornings when it was a struggle for him to simply get out
of bed.
But
every morning, I watched my father wake up with a smile, grab his walker, prop
himself up against the bathroom sink, and slowly shave and button his uniform.
And
when he returned home after a long day's work, my brother and I would stand at
the top of the stairs to our little apartment, patiently waiting to greet
him...watching as he reached down to lift one leg, and then the other, to
slowly climb his way into our arms.
But
despite these challenges, my dad hardly ever missed a day of work...he and my
mom were determined to give me and my brother the kind of education they could
only dream of.
And
when my brother and I finally made it to college, nearly all of our tuition
came from student loans and grants.
But
my dad still had to pay a tiny portion of that tuition himself.
And
every semester, he was determined to pay that bill right on time, even taking
out loans when he fell short.
He
was so proud to be sending his kids to college...and he made sure we never
missed a registration deadline because his check was late.
You
see, for my dad, that's what it meant to be a man.
Like
so many of us, that was the measure of his success in life – being able to earn
a decent living that allowed him to support his family.
And
as I got to know Barack, I realized that even though he'd grown up all the way
across the country, he'd been brought up just like me.
Barack
was raised by a single mother who struggled to pay the bills, and by
grandparents who stepped in when she needed help.
Barack's
grandmother started out as a secretary at a community bank...and she moved
quickly up the ranks...but like so many women, she hit a glass ceiling.
And
for years, men no more qualified than she was – men she had actually trained –
were promoted up the ladder ahead of her, earning more and more money while
Barack's family continued to scrape by.
But
day after day, she kept on waking up at dawn to catch the bus...arriving at
work before anyone else...giving her best without complaint or regret.
And
she would often tell Barack, "So long as you kids do well, Bar, that's all
that really matters."
Like
so many American families, our families weren't asking for much.
They
didn't begrudge anyone else's success or care that others had much more than
they did...in fact, they admired it.
They
simply believed in that fundamental American promise that, even if you don't
start out with much, if you work hard and do what you're supposed to do, then
you should be able to build a decent life for yourself and an even better life
for your kids and grandkids.
That's
how they raised us...that's what we learned from their example.
We
learned about dignity and decency – that how hard you work matters more than
how much you make...that helping others means more than just getting ahead
yourself.
We
learned about honesty and integrity – that the truth matters...that you don't
take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules...and success doesn't count
unless you earn it fair and square.
We
learned about gratitude and humility – that so many people had a hand in our
success, from the teachers who inspired us to the janitors who kept our school
clean...and we were taught to value everyone's contribution and treat everyone
with respect.
Those
are the values Barack and I – and so many of you – are trying to pass on to our
own children.
That's
who we are.
And
standing before you four years ago, I knew that I didn't want any of that to
change if Barack became President.
Well,
today, after so many struggles and triumphs and moments that have tested my
husband in ways I never could have imagined, I have seen firsthand that being
president doesn't change who you are – it reveals who you are.
You
see, I've gotten to see up close and personal what being president really looks
like.
And
I've seen how the issues that come across a President's desk are always the hard
ones – the problems where no amount of data or numbers will get you to the
right answer...the judgment calls where the stakes are so high, and there is no
margin for error.
And
as President, you can get all kinds of advice from all kinds of people.
But
at the end of the day, when it comes time to make that decision, as President,
all you have to guide you are your values, and your vision, and the life
experiences that make you who you are.
So
when it comes to rebuilding our economy, Barack is thinking about folks like my
dad and like his grandmother.
He's
thinking about the pride that comes from a hard day's work.
That's
why he signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to help women get equal pay for
equal work.
That's
why he cut taxes for working families and small businesses and fought to get
the auto industry back on its feet.
That's
how he brought our economy from the brink of collapse to creating jobs again –
jobs you can raise a family on, good jobs right here in the United States of
America.
When
it comes to the health of our families, Barack refused to listen to all those
folks who told him to leave health reform for another day, another president.
He
didn't care whether it was the easy thing to do politically – that's not how he
was raised – he cared that it was the right thing to do.
He
did it because he believes that here in America, our grandparents should be
able to afford their medicine...our kids should be able to see a doctor when
they're sick...and no one in this country should ever go broke because of an
accident or illness.
And
he believes that women are more than capable of making our own choices about
our bodies and our health care...that's what my husband stands for.
When
it comes to giving our kids the education they deserve, Barack knows that like
me and like so many of you, he never could've attended college without
financial aid.
And
believe it or not, when we were first married, our combined monthly student
loan bills were actually higher than our mortgage.
We
were so young, so in love, and so in debt.
That's
why Barack has fought so hard to increase student aid and keep interest rates
down, because he wants every young person to fulfill their promise and be able
to attend college without a mountain of debt.
So
in the end, for Barack, these issues aren't political – they're personal.
Because
Barack knows what it means when a family struggles.
He
knows what it means to want something more for your kids and grandkids.
Barack
knows the American Dream because he's lived it... and he wants everyone in this
country to have that same opportunity, no matter who we are, or where we're
from, or what we look like, or who we love.
And
he believes that when you've worked hard, and done well, and walked through
that doorway of opportunity...you do not slam it shut behind you...you reach
back, and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.
So
when people ask me whether being in the White House has changed my husband, I
can honestly say that when it comes to his character, and his convictions, and
his heart, Barack Obama is still the same man I fell in love with all those
years ago.
He's
the same man who started his career by turning down high paying jobs and
instead working in struggling neighborhoods where a steel plant had shut down,
fighting to rebuild those communities and get folks back to work... because for
Barack, success isn't about how much money you make, it's about the difference
you make in people's lives.
He's
the same man who, when our girls were first born, would anxiously check their
cribs every few minutes to ensure they were still breathing, proudly showing
them off to everyone we knew.
That's
the man who sits down with me and our girls for dinner nearly every night,
patiently answering their questions about issues in the news, and strategizing
about middle school friendships.
That's
the man I see in those quiet moments late at night, hunched over his desk,
poring over the letters people have sent him.
The
letter from the father struggling to pay his bills... from the woman dying of
cancer whose insurance company won't cover her care... from the young person
with so much promise but so few opportunities.
I
see the concern in his eyes... and I hear the determination in his voice as he
tells me, "You won't believe what these folks are going through,
Michelle... it's not right. We've got to keep working to fix this. We've got so
much more to do."
I
see how those stories – our collection of struggles and hopes and dreams – I
see how that's what drives Barack Obama every single day.
And
I didn't think it was possible, but today, I love my husband even more than I
did four years ago... even more than I did 23 years ago, when we first met.
I
love that he's never forgotten how he started.
I
love that we can trust Barack to do what he says he's going to do, even when
it's hard – especially when it's hard.
I
love that for Barack, there is no such thing as "us" and
"them" – he doesn't care whether you're a Democrat, a Republican, or
none of the above...he knows that we all love our country...and he's always
ready to listen to good ideas...he's always looking for the very best in
everyone he meets.
And
I love that even in the toughest moments, when we're all sweating it – when
we're worried that the bill won't pass, and it seems like all is lost – Barack
never lets himself get distracted by the chatter and the noise.
Just
like his grandmother, he just keeps getting up and moving forward... with
patience and wisdom, and courage and grace.
And
he reminds me that we are playing a long game here...and that change is hard,
and change is slow, and it never happens all at once.
But
eventually we get there, we always do.
We
get there because of folks like my Dad...folks like Barack's grandmother...men
and women who said to themselves, "I may not have a chance to fulfill my
dreams, but maybe my children will...maybe my grandchildren will."
So
many of us stand here tonight because of their sacrifice, and longing, and
steadfast love...because time and again, they swallowed their fears and doubts
and did what was hard.
So
today, when the challenges we face start to seem overwhelming – or even
impossible – let us never forget that doing the impossible is the history of
this nation...it's who we are as Americans...it's how this country was built.
And
if our parents and grandparents could toil and struggle for us...if they could
raise beams of steel to the sky, send a man to the moon, and connect the world
with the touch of a button...then surely we can keep on sacrificing and
building for our own kids and grandkids.
And
if so many brave men and women could wear our country's uniform and sacrifice
their lives for our most fundamental rights...then surely we can do our part as
citizens of this great democracy to exercise those rights...surely, we can get
to the polls and make our voices heard on Election Day.
If
farmers and blacksmiths could win independence from an empire...if immigrants
could leave behind everything they knew for a better life on our shores...if
women could be dragged to jail for seeking the vote...if a generation could
defeat a depression, and define greatness for all time...if a young preacher
could lift us to the mountaintop with his righteous dream...and if proud
Americans can be who they are and boldly stand at the altar with who they
love...then surely, surely we can give everyone in this country a fair chance
at that great American Dream.
Because
in the end, more than anything else, that is the story of this country – the
story of unwavering hope grounded in unyielding struggle.
That
is what has made my story, and Barack's story, and so many other American
stories possible.
And
I say all of this tonight not just as First Lady...and not just as a wife.
You
see, at the end of the day, my most important title is still
"mom-in-chief."
My
daughters are still the heart of my heart and the center of my world.
But
today, I have none of those worries from four years ago about whether Barack
and I were doing what's best for our girls.
Because
today, I know from experience that if I truly want to leave a better world for
my daughters, and all our sons and daughters...if we want to give all our
children a foundation for their dreams and opportunities worthy of their
promise...if we want to give them that sense of limitless possibility – that
belief that here in America, there is always something better out there if
you're willing to work for it...then we must work like never before...and we
must once again come together and stand together for the man we can trust to
keep moving this great country forward...my husband, our President, President
Barack Obama.
Thank
you, God bless you, and God bless America.
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