relations and established a service that helped thousands of South Side residents find affordable health care.
As a full-time working mom with a spouse who was often away from home, I became well acquainted with the juggle many women know—trying to balance the needs of my family with the demands of my job.
I first met Valerie Jarrett (left) in 1991, when she was deputy chief of staff at the Chicago mayor’s office. She quickly became a trusted friend and adviser to both me and Barack. Here we are during his U.S. Senate campaign in 2004.
From time to time our kids came out to visit Barack on the campaign trail. Here’s Malia, watching through the campaign bus window in 2004 as her dad gives yet another speech.
Barack announced his candidacy for president in Springfield, Illinois, on a freezing-cold day in February 2007. I’d bought Sasha a too-big pink hat for the occasion and kept worrying it was going to slip off her head, but miraculously she managed to keep it on.
Here we are on the campaign trail, accompanied as always by a dozen or more members of the press.
I liked campaigning, energized by the connections I made with voters across America. And yet the pace could be grueling. I stole moments of rest when I could.
In the months leading up to the general election, I was given access to a campaign plane, which boosted my overall efficiency and made traveling a lot more fun. Pictured here with me (from left) is my tight-knit team: Kristen Jarvis, Katie McCormick Lelyveld, Chawn Ritz (our flight attendant that day), and Melissa Winter.
Joe Biden was a great running mate for Barack for many reasons, including that our two families instantly hit it off. Jill and I began talking early on about how we wanted to be of service to military families. Here we are in 2008, taking a break from campaigning in Pennsylvania.
After a difficult spring and summer on the campaign trail, I spoke at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, which allowed me to share my story for the first time before a massive prime-time audience. Afterward, Sasha and Malia joined me onstage to say hello to Barack via video.
On November 4, 2008—election night—my mom, Marian Robinson, sat next to Barack, the two of them quietly watching as the results came in.
Malia was ten years old and Sasha just seven in January 2009 when their dad was sworn in as president. Sasha was so small, she had to stand on a special platform in order to be visible during the ceremony.
Officially POTUS and FLOTUS, Barack and I hit ten inaugural balls that night, dancing onstage at each one. I was wiped out after the day’s festivities, but this gorgeous gown designed by Jason Wu gave me fresh energy, and my husband—my best friend, my partner in all things—has a way of making every moment we have together feel intimate.
Laura Bush kindly hosted me and the girls for an early visit to the White House. Her own daughters, Jenna and Barbara, were there to show Sasha and Malia the more fun parts of the place, including how to use this sloping hallway as a slide.
This image of Sasha’s little face peering through ballistic-proof glass as she headed to her first day of school stays with me to this day. At the time, I couldn’t help but worry about what this experience would do to our kids.
It took some adjustment to get used to the constant presence of U.S. Secret Service agents in our lives, but over time many of them became dear friends.
Wilson Jerman (shown here) first came to work at the White House in 1957. Like many of the butlers and residence staff, he served with dignity under several different presidents.
The White House garden was designed to be a symbol of nutrition and healthy living, a springboard from which I could launch a larger initiative like Let’s Move! But I also loved it because it’s where I could get my hands dirty with kids as we rooted around in the soil.
I wanted the White House to be a place where everyone would feel at home and kids could be themselves. I hoped that they’d see their stories reflected in ours, and maybe have a chance to jump double