It’s been 26 years, 2 children and 2 presidential terms and our love and admiration for the marriage between Michelle Obama and her husband, former President Barack Obama is stronger than ever. You don’t have to look far to see and feel the unconditional love between two of the most powerful people in the world, but Michelle is quick to let everyone know that hard work is involved to make a marriage last. Michelle Obama is full of quotables on various aspects of life, but it’s perhaps her advice on marriage that we should take most note of, especially if you’re headed down that road one day. Sure, the Obamas are the ultimate #CoupleGoals and #RelationshipGoals, but it’s because they work diligently to keep it that way. Check out some of the former First Lady’s best quotes on marriage and keep them handy with you when you need some encouragement in your own relationship. “When the kids go to bed and after [Barack’s] done a little reading, we’re usually curled up in our den, and we’ll watch a show together. Or we’ll talk and catch up. It’s nothing major, but that’s what marriage is about. Not the big, splashy stuff. It’s just the little day-to-day sharing and routines and rituals that we still have.” “I feel vulnerable all the time. And I had to learn how to express that to my husband, to tap into those parts of me that missed him—and the sadness that came from that—so that he could understand. Love is the dinner table, love is consistency, it is presence. So I had to share my vulnerability and also learn to love differently. It was an important part of my journey of becoming. Understanding how to become us.” “It has to be a true partnership, and you have to really, really like and respect the person you’re married to because it is a hard road. I mean, that’s what I tell young couples. Don’t expect it to be easy, melding two lives and trying to raise others, and doing it forever. I mean that’s a recipe made for disaster, so there are highs and lows. But if in the end you can look him in the eye and say, “I like you.”” “What I learned about myself was that my happiness was up to me and I started working out more, I started asking for help, not just from [Barack], but from other people. I stopped feeling guilty.” “Marriage flourishes when the couple works together as a team; when both husband and wife decide that winning together is more important than keeping score. Good marriages don’t just happen. They are a product of hard work.” “I know that people look to me and Barack as the ideal relationship. I know there’s #RelationshipGoals out there. But whoa, people, slow down—marriage is hard!” “For the wives out there…insecurity is a destructive characteristic to both your marriage and your self-confidence. For the husbands out there…Treat your wife like a queen, so she feels like one to you and to herself.” “Materialistic attraction fades while resilient qualities such as commitment, honesty, and respect last forever.” “Got to keep the romance alive, even in the White House. … [Barack] remembers dates, birthdays, he doesn’t forget a thing, even when I think he is… I’ll have a little attitude. I give him a little attitude, but he always comes through.” “Marriage is hard work. Even the best of marriages require a lot of work — even if you’re married to your soulmate who has very few flaws. Building a life with a person other than yourself, and raising kids and dealing with all of the bumps and the bruises and the joys and the pains that go along with life, that creates the natural state of marriage, and it’s a challenge.”]]>