Having made it through most of his farewell address composed, it was towards the tail end when President Obama reached for a white handkerchief to wipe away tears as he thanked Michelle for accepting and blossoming in a role as First Lady.
“Michelle Lavaughn Robinson, girl of the South Side — for the past 25 years, you have not only been my wife, the mother of my children, you have been my best friend,” Obama said to a roaring crowd. “You took on a job you didn’t ask for, and you made it your own with grace and with grit and with style and good humor.”
As the cameras panned to Michelle seated in the front row, eldest daughter Malia wiped away tears as she watched her father honor and admire her mother in front of thousands.
“You made the White House a place that belonged to everybody,” he said about the First Lady. “You have made me proud, and you have made the country proud.”
The president’s speech centered around the progress the American people made during his eight years in office, and placed the responsibility of change not on government, but each other. Obama also took the time to thank Vice President Joe Biden, calling him “brother.”
