Michelle Obama Recalls Late Mother Marian Robinson’s ‘Enoughness’ in Birthday Tribute

Nearly two months after her death, Michelle Obama reflects on her late mother’s ‘enoughness’

On Monday, July 29, the previous first lady paid tribute to her late mother, Marian Robinson, on what would have been her 87th birthday in 2018. Instagram post amongst which was an intimate photo of mother and daughter smiling at one another and embracing.

“Today would have been my mom’s 87th birthday,” Obama began the post. “These past few months have been difficult without her and I am so grateful for the outpouring of love you have shown our family along the way.”

According to statement issued by the family At the time, Robinson died “peacefully” on May 31, forsaking a close-knit group that included Michelle, Barack, Michelle’s brother Craig, his wife Kelly and every couple’s two children.

“Even though she is no longer with us, I think she is still worth celebrating,” Obama continued in his birthday tribute.

She added that what she loves most about her mother is that she “always made me feel like I was enough.”

Obama recalled the various ways her mother exuded confidence and gratitude for what she had, from proudly decorating their “tiny” two-bedroom apartment without an elevator for the vacations to mastering the art of styling hair at home.

“And because she felt she was enough, she could help others feel the same way,” she continued. “She did it countless times for me and my brother Craig. She did it for her family and friends. She did it for the White House staff. She did it for everyone she knew.”

At the top of her caption, Obama explained that she used her mother’s birthday as a possibility to have a good time “the immense power that was in her being enough.”

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While Robinson was alive, she became a fixture on the White House during Barack Obama’s term as president. She was a caregiver and fierce advocate for her grandchildren, Sasha and Malia Obama.

She famously said about her role as a caregiver: “If anyone other than the parents is going to take care of these children, it better be me.”

“We needed her. The girls needed her. And she ended up being our rock through it all,” the family said of their time with Robinson on the White House in a press release announcing her death in May.

In a birthday caption, Obama stated, “I pledge to continue her legacy of supporting others the best way I can.”

Obama’s relationship together with her own mother is not the only mother-daughter relationship she’s been musing on these days. During a recent appearance on Melinda French Gates’ podcastThe moments that make us,” the previous first lady shared her thoughts on how she raised her daughters to be “independent,” “valued and valuable people in the world” while living in the White House.

True to Robinson’s legacy of empowering others, Obama told host Gates, “I never saw it as my job to create mini-mes or to create people to experience some of my brokenness or fill some void or be my friend. As my girls joke, I always said—my favorite line was, ‘I’m not one of your little friends.'”

Obama also spoke in regards to the unique pressures faced by a “first child” and the way her daughters are coping with them.

“They’re being watched. They’ve had to learn how to balance unwanted attention but do it politely. To build their own lives in the spotlight and not be consumed by it,” she noted. “These girls had to be smart, confident and independent right away—even while living in a house with butlers and maids and florists. But I raised them thinking, ‘You’re not going to live here—with me—forever. So I have to give you your life back soon and let you run it.’”