Like many of us this Mother’s Day, Michelle Obama wants to spend the holiday with her mom. But the coronavirus pandemic has made this past normalcy impossible for her and countless others.
Instead, Obama penned a sweet note on Facebook and Instagram acknowledging why this Mother’s Day might feel more difficult. She also highlighted the many mothers working through the pandemic.
“From birthdays to family trips to graduations, my mother has always been there to offer an extra hand, marvel in life’s small joys, and be our rock to get through this time,” Obama wrote on Sunday. “So many mothers have been working tirelessly to get their families, workplaces, communities — and themselves — through this crisis. And I know many of you are separated from your families today, whether due to physical distancing or because your loved ones are essential workers, sacrificing this time to keep the rest of us safe. I’m sure that many of you would rather be out of the house, spending this day with your mom or whomever fills that role in your life. I feel that too.”
She goes on to say, “So I’m taking some time today to reach out to the amazing mothers in my life —friends, mentors, aunts, elders — who may need a little extra love today.”
On Friday, Obama also took to social media to pay special tribute to her mother with an Instagram post. In it, she shared an outtake from her Netflix documentary Becoming, which shows Obama asking her mother about her experiences raising her.
“I had fun with my kids. I just couldn’t wait to see what they were going to come in and say next, because it was always something,” Marian Shields Robinson said while laughing.