Michelle Obama Has A Point

The late Ruth Bell Graham, wife of the Rev. Billy Graham, used to get a lot of questions about how she and her marriage endured their peripatetic life.

Her stock answer: “I’d rather have a little of Billy than a lot of any other man”.

The only two people who know how a marriage works are the two people in it.

Former first lady Michelle Obama is revealing in a recent interview that for about 10 of the 30 years she’s been married to Barack Obama, she “couldn’t stand” him. She resented having more of the burden of raising their (then) little girls. Eventually, she says, she realized that marriage is never exactly 50-50.

“There are times I’m 70, he’s 30. Times he’s 60, I’m 40. 

“We’ve been married 30. I would take ten bad years over 30—it’s just how you look at it.”

Now, in all honesty, I couldn’t always stand him either, but that’s a different story.

I have to say, though, I am glad she pointed this out. People who are married, or may someday be, need to know it’s not all Hallmark Channel movies. There’s leaning on, and being leaned-on. Better if you plainly know it, going in.

While I don’t agree with Mr. or Mrs. Obama on much when it comes to policies or politics, good for her for saying the quiet part out loud.

It’ll help someone, somewhere.