Nov. 4, 2008 was the day President Obama was elected president of the United States.
He entered humbly into the ‘land of milk and honey’ where he would later bring about the change that he envisioned for this promising country.
He took over the presidency after eight years of the Bush administration and managed to save the banking and automobile industry during his time.
One article says, “he managed to create 109,000 jobs per month and decrease unemployment to 4.7 percent. The average hourly wage has increased by 2.9 percent, and the stock market has reached record highs under his administration.”
Despite of all of these, many are still not as thrilled as he had hoped. It wasn’t easy being an African-American president, let alone be a leader to people who back then, did not even know his name, nor understand the impact he would have on the world in the years that followed.
And there’s his lovely wife, Michelle Obama. This amazing woman, who in her poignant and touching words, ‘left everyone in tears’ when she bid farewell to her staff a few days ago.
The epitome of class and ‘calm under pressure’ – that is Michelle Obama for me. She is one of the most genuine persons who ever lived in the White House. And she certainly has a way with words. A skill she displayed when she campaigned for Hillary Clinton earlier this year (as my readers and my friends know, I wanted Hilary to win the elections).
Mrs. Obama served as a fashion icon. She has propelled designers including Peter Pilotto, Jason Wu, Isabel Toledo, Thakoon and St Erasmus into the limelight. Washington Post writes, “Obama has celebrated a distinctly contemporary version of American style — a sensibility rooted in comfort and practicality, wholly removed from the Old World formality that still percolates within French fashion and apart from the flashy sex appeal and bella figura tailoring that are the twin pillars of Italian aesthetics.”
The First Lady recently appeared on the cover of the December issue of Vogue magazine, and in the accompanying interview, she told the magazine, “You know, there are little …moments. Even today I was looking out at this view here. Looking out on the South Lawn and the Washington Monument and it had just rained and the grass was really green and everything popped a little bit more. It’s soooo beautiful. And for that moment I thought, I’m going to miss waking up to this, having access to this anytime I want. But on the flip side … it’s time,”
Now here we are, looking back at those eight good years, and just like ‘all good things – they (eventually) come to an end’ – whether you are ready for it or not.
I wasn’t. I didn’t want to – at least not yet – not now.
But, if I could say a few words to our former president and his family, this is what I would tell them:
To President Obama: As you leave the life of presidency to welcome a much less-complicated one, I can imagine how eight years could feel so fleeting.
My heart is filled with gratitude and appreciation; not only for the things you helped bring to light, but also for the many things we still have yet to realize.
You have fought to keep this nation from the very thing we have now become. You gave us the Affordable Care Act, which isn’t perfect, but insures millions of American citizens who previously did not have access to health care. You made sure that that children could remain on their parents’ health care policies until the age of 26 and that people who had preexisting conditions could not be denied health care.
You gave us the Defense of Marriage Act. Now, LGBT citizens finally got what they have been fighting for all these years – the right to marry the person they love. In doing so, you did not only make an impact to a nation, but you defined a culture and you shook up and woke up a generation.
You worked tirelessly on climate change laws and put areas of open space and ocean under federal protection from developers.
You wanted to and could have created more jobs, but the Republican-led Congress had other plans.
I thank you, Mr. President, for those eight years of showing us that, “Yes, we (certainly) can.” We want you to know your legacy will live on long after your presidency.
I want to thank you for everything that you did and tried to do for this country, despite the hatred, the opposition, and those roadblocks that you and Mrs. Obama have encountered along the way.
Your family is one of the most wonderful families who have ever lived in the White House. I will miss you all beyond words can express.
I have to accept – now, even more than ever – the foreboding reality that you and Mrs. Obama, who are the smartest, kindest, classiest, most dignified and caring couple to live in the White House is ‘handing over the keys’ to a couple who has yet to learn how to carry themselves with the qualities (I mentioned above) you both have effortlessly displayed.
As you transition out of office, and out of The ‘House’ that you made into a home to ‘US,’ we want you to know that we will do our best to carry on the legacy that the Obama family has instilled in our hearts.
We will forever be grateful to you, the graceful intelligent and compassionate first lady, Mrs. Obama, as well as your beautiful daughters Sasha and Malia for their collective sacrifices for this nation.
You will remain in our hearts as you have ‘US’ in yours. Good luck and may you continue to bring out the best in one another and in everyone.
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Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at [email protected]
