Michelle Obama reveals her mom’s final words and guides Malia and Sasha

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Former First Lady Michelle Obama opened up about her late mother Marian Robinson’s final words and how they continue to guide her as both a mother and a woman entering a new stage of life.

Speaking at People Inc.’s exclusive in-person event in New York City on Wednesday, November 5, the 61-year-old author discussed her new book, 'The Look', with longtime friend La La Anthony. During the heartfelt conversation, Obama shared one of the last exchanges she had with Robinson before her passing in 2024 at age 86.

Michelle Obama reflects on Marian Robinson’s lessons about life and loss

Obama recalled that her mother, known for her grounded wisdom, had been preparing her and her brother Craig Robinson for her eventual passing since Michelle was just 10 years old. “What she was doing was letting us know that she loved us, but that we could live life with and without her,” Michelle explained. “And I understand that now as a parent.”

The ‘Becoming’ author, who shares daughters Malia, 27, and Sasha, 24, with former President Barack Obama, said she wants to pass on the same sense of independence. “I want my daughters to know, ‘I love you, you love me, but you don’t need me. You know everything you need to know to be successful,’” she said.

When her mother’s health declined, Michelle spent long hours by her side. One quiet evening while watching TV together, Robinson turned to her daughter and said softly, “Wow, that was quick.” When Michelle asked what she meant, her mother replied simply, “Life.”

“That’s all she said,” Michelle recalled. “But what I got from that was even in her practical-minded way, that you’re never ready. Life just comes, and then it’s over.”

Michelle Obama embraces turning 60 with presence and purpose

Now in her sixties, Michelle said she’s channeling her mother’s wisdom by living in the moment. “I think that feeling of 60 is about trying to be present in the feeling,” she told the audience. “Trying to be present in this moment in my life so that this last chapter is exactly the way I want it to be.”

To mark her 60th birthday earlier this year, Barack Obama captured a photo of his wife in a flowing yellow dress during their trip to Greece.

“There’s how you look, but it’s how you feel,” Michelle said. “My feeling in that photo was free, completely free to be me.” She added that she’s finally at a stage “where every single decision I make is mine,” describing it as a hard-earned freedom “that women have to earn because of all that we carry.”

Passing down small traditions and big lessons

In her conversation and a recent PEOPLE cover story, Michelle admitted one tradition she’s holding onto: coloring her gray hair, just as her mother did. “My mother dyed her hair until the day she died,” she said fondly. “She had a beautiful sandy blonde that mixed in with the gray, and I’m going to be doing that too.”