Tatiana asked Michelle Obama:

If you could go back and change one thing in your life, would you? If so, what would you change?

Michelle Obama Thanks for this question, Tatiana. For the most part, I’m not someone who spends very much time thinking about things I have no control over. In fact, a big part of the experience of writing this memoir was recognizing the beauty in each step of my journey. It was a process that reaffirmed to me that every twist and turn—good, bad, and otherwise—played a role in shaping who I am today. If I’d have been born in a different neighborhood, my perspective on the world would be different. If I hadn’t first pursued a career in corporate law, I wouldn’t have met Barack. If, if, if… every hypothetical leads down a different path to a different today. And I’ve lived a life of such blessing and opportunity, there’s no joy in trying to change any of it. The joy, to me, comes in realizing upon reflection that what I thought were weaknesses or failures were actually the things that gave me strength, nudging me along in my path to becoming.

Now, having said all that, I will offer one exception: I wish my father were still alive. I’d have loved to have seen him tickle and joke with our girls, just like he did with my brother and me. I’d have loved to have had his voice as a guide whenever I needed him. I’d have loved to be able have him along for the ride during this last, crazy decade.

So while I’m happy that I’ve come to a place in my life that I can see the beauty and power in even the toughest moments of my journey, I still wish I had more time with my father. I miss him.

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