Belle Salutes Strong Women

Michelle Obama

I had to change the title of the "Belle Salutes" series. There was no way in hell I was calling Michelle Obama a... I won't even use the word in a post about her even though the term was used in the most highly favorable, you-are-a -force-to-be-reckoned with way. It just doesn't seem right for her.I *heart* Mrs. Obama for many reasons-- most important because she stands BESIDE her man, not behind him (despite the above picture). There will be no glazed over blank looks at her husband the way Nancy Regan did for her hubby or the way Bey gushes for ex-President Carter. No, she shows her man the respect he's earned, but she's no bimbo.I love her for being able to support without sacrificing her strength. She was the breadwinner of the household, but quit her well-into-six figure salary to support her man's bid for the top spot. I also read in Time, I think it was, how hubby was working on a speech and he was frustrated and in deep thought. She interrupted him to say something like, "Hey... I love you and I think you're brilliant." In the same story (I think), the writer details a time when Barack was booed at a rally and Michelle called into the post-rally conference call to flip on whoever left her man out there vulnerable like that. She don't play when it comes to her man. LOL!

I love her for whatever she does to make Barak Obama bite his lip when he looks at her. They were on Oprah one time and he was in the stage and she was in the audience. Oprah asked her some question about him that Michelle wasn't expecting. She answered flawlessly and when the camera flashed back to the stage, Obama was grinning so hard at the woman he had to bite his lip to compose himself. I love it!

I love her for being half of an amazing team. It occurs to me as I see countless pictures of the Obamas splashed all over the papers and the Web that it's been awhile since we've seen a strong Black woman who has a man. We've got plenty of strong single women, so many that it's become an unshakable stereotype that strong woman is equated with a lifetime of lonliness as if success and companionship are only made for men. Michelle Obama is like a real-life Claire Huxtable sent from Middle Earth (you had to be at the LTBD late to get that one) to America-at-large to remind a bunch of almost-grown Black girls who grew up on The Cosby Show that Claire wasn't just a figament of some producer's imagination or relic of our mama's generation. We needed Michelle Obama like scraped knees need Band-Aids.

The general election hasn't begun just yet and already shots are being taken at Michelle. (OMG! I fell a little bit in love with Barak watching him defend his wife on Good Morning America. I think all of the women in America did too. Note to the GOP: that backfired bigtime.) Undoubtedly, she'll be under plenty of attacks in the upcoming months. And she'll never read this blog, but I will send out my words of encouragement, strength, and love for her and her husband in the upcoming months anyway.

I salute Michelle Obama for living the impossible dream and being a phenomenal woman. Thanks for the reminder that having it all isn't easy, but it's possible if I want it.