In Michelle Obama’s newest podcast, Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast, she reveals the ways Barack proved his value as a partner before they were married. The podcast features moments from her latest book tour for The Light We Carry, including conversations with Gayle King, Hoda Kotb, and now, launching tomorrow, Oprah herself.
Listen below to an exclusive clip from the upcoming podcast episode, or read on to hear what Obama tells Oprah about her very first visit to Hawaii to meet Barack’s family.
“Let’s talk about your husband for a minute,” Oprah begins, saying that Obama summed up her love story with Barack in one simple way—that made Oprah stop in her tracks and immediately tear up. “You were talking about [how] you’ve lived many places,” Oprah starts, which causes Obama to chime in and finish the sentence with Oprah: “And Barack is my home.”
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It’s a beautifully sweet sentiment, but the way Obama explains how she came to that conclusion is even better. “When you first arrived in Hawaii, you were looking for...the Hawaii on Hawaii Five-O (those of you who remember that show),” Oprah starts in, to which Obama adds, “Yes, mai tais, sunsets on the beach.”
That’s understandable—“I was young and it was cold in Chicago,” Obama starts. “I thought, I’m going to Hawaii with my man; it’s gonna be so romantic.” But what she found was a situation not too different from her own grandparents’ home on the South Side of Chicago. “We landed and we went straight Toot and Gramps’ apartment,” she says, speaking of Barack’s names for his maternal grandparents. “No ocean, it was a high-rise building, [we] go up to the 10th floor...then we cuddle up. What’s on the TV? 60 Minutes. And they pull out some TV trays, and I think we probably had tuna sandwiches with sweet pickles.”
Obama did get to have some of that beach vacation she was seeking, but she also found something much more valuable: the realization that Barack was showing her what he truly values. “Sometimes as people looking for partners, we’re looking for what we think are mai tais and sunsets,” Obama concludes. “What we need is somebody who respects and loves their family and is gonna show up for them again and again.”
Of course, we know that the Obamas found that in each other and make it work every day with their extended families. “Barack valued the time that he had with his family...he was the rock,” Obama adds. “Let me just tell you, he always shows up for me and the girls. That same way he is present and there when we need him, that’s what he was showing me in Hawaii when I was trying to get to the beach.”
Listen to the full exclusive clip from Obama and Oprah’s conversation below. Read more about the podcast here, and listen to all the episodes on Audible here.
Cassie Hurwitz (she/her) is an assistant editor at Oprah Daily, where she covers everything from culture to entertainment to lifestyle. She can typically be found in the middle of multiple books and TV shows all at once. Previously, Cassie worked at Parents, Rachael Ray In Season, and Reveal. Her love language is pizza (New York slices, Chicago deep dish, and otherwise).
