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Since 2008, the Barack and Michelle Obama have set national (and international) power-couple #goals by, well, just being themselves in the public eye. They advocate for each other at every opportunity, whether that means tag-teaming a workout or, you know, the small task of running the United States of America. So, just how did this unstoppable duo reach soul-mate status? Luckily, a just-released book from Barack’s former senior advisor, Dan Pfeiffer, Yes We (Still) Can: Politics in the Age of Obama, Twitter, and Trump, outlines three nuggets of relationship wisdom, straight from America’s 44th president.
First, “Here’s the advice I give everyone about marriage—is she someone you find interesting?,” Pfeiffer recalls the former POTUS asking him amid his plans to move in with his now wife, Howli. “You will spend more time with this person than anyone else for the rest of your life, and there’s nothing more important than always wanting to hear what she has to say about things.” And it makes sense since you definitely don’t want to live a life full of awkward silences (only mutually comfortable ones).
“You will spend more time with this person than anyone else for the rest of your life, and there’s nothing more important than always wanting to hear what she has to say about things.” —Barack Obama
According to Obama, the next order of business is finding someone who makes you LOL on the reg, which explains why there are so many ca-yute photos of the dynamic duo cracking up or at least grinning at one another. Finally, Pfeiffer says President Obama asked him, “…I don’t know if you want kids, but if you do, do you think she’ll be a good mom?” Meaning, establishing that you and your beloved have the same family goals is key before committing to each other for life.
His sage advice harkens back to the idea that the wedded life is a marathon, not a sprint: “Life is long. These are the things that really matter over the long term.” Since truer words have never been spoken, here’s a piece of advice for you, Mr. Obama: If you’re looking for a new gig, “relationship counselor” or even just “professional BFF” seem applicable to your skill set. Just saying.
Bookmark more must-read love tips from Hugh Jackman and Queer Eye‘s Karamo Brown.
This post was originally published on July 5, 2018; it was updated on August 4, 2018.
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