Changes and Loss

Changes and Loss
What should have been an exciting time of new love was mostly a time of frustration, since Barack had to finish up at Harvard.
To his credit, the school made him the first Black editor of the school's prestigious journal, the Harvard Law Review.
And while the new couple were trying to make the best of a long-distance relationship, Michelle received some disturbing news.
Her father was in the hospital.
Michelle knew he'd been fighting multiple sclerosis, but now the pain of simply getting to his feet had become too much.
For a couple of weeks, Michelle visited the hospital only to see her father's condition worsen.
This strong, unbreakable figure in her life was only 55-years-old, but suddenly he looked so frail.
Even though he couldn't speak, his eyes, and the way he repeatedly kissed the back of Michelle's hand, said everything that needed saying.
He was giving her his love and bidding her goodbye.
It's not easy to carry on after the death of a loved one, but in 1991, things did take a positive turn.
Barack had returned to Chicago, and the two could finally bask in the joy of living together.
Even though he had many job offers coming in, Barack remained as thoughtful and considerate as he ever was.
He was always more interested in helping a friend set up a community workshop than taking a high-paying gig at a law firm.
Meanwhile, Michelle was considering a big change in her own career.
It was now abundantly clear that what she really wanted to do was help people, face-to-face, not analyze corporate contracts.
Fortunately, 1991 was the year she met another influential figure in her life: Valerie Jarrett.
Like Michelle, Valerie was a lawyer who left a high-paying job in order to fulfill her desire to help people.
The two bonded quickly and Valerie helped Michelle get a job as an assistant to Chicago's mayor, Richard Daley Jr. But this was just the beginning of a lifelong relationship, with Valerie continuing to be a valuable friend and advisor to the family.
Speaking of family: In October of 1992, Michelle and Barack were married, though there was little time for a honeymoon.
That November was an important election year, and Barack was enlisted into the Project VOTE! initiative, which was designed to help people from Black communities register to vote.
Barack worked tirelessly, getting 7,000 people registered in a single week.
Then, in 1993, after a couple of years working at City Hall, Michelle found a new job as the executive director of a nonprofit called Public Allies, which sought to connect promising young people with mentors who worked in the public sector.
Since Michelle knew firsthand how meeting the right person could lead to life-changing consequences, she felt passionate about the organization's purpose and found the work deeply meaningful.
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Changes and Loss What should have been an exciting time of new love was mostly a time of frustration, since Barack had to finish up at Harvard. To his credit, the school made him the first Black editor of the school's prestigious journal, the Harvard Law Review. And while the new couple were trying to make the best of a long-distance relationship, Michelle received some disturbing news. Her father was in the hospital. Michelle knew he'd been fighting multiple sclerosis, but now the pain of simply getting to his feet had become too much. For a couple of weeks, Michelle visited the hospital only to see her father's condition worsen. This strong, unbreakable figure in her life was only 55-years-old, but suddenly he looked so frail. Even though he couldn't speak, his eyes, and the way he repeatedly kissed the back of Michelle's hand, said everything that needed saying. He was giving her his love and bidding her goodbye. It's not easy to carry on after the death of a loved one, but in 1991, things did take a positive turn. Barack had returned to Chicago, and the two could finally bask in the joy of living together. Even though he had many job offers coming in, Barack remained as thoughtful and considerate as he ever was. He was always more interested in helping a friend set up a community workshop than taking a high-paying gig at a law firm. Meanwhile, Michelle was considering a big change in her own career. It was now abundantly clear that what she really wanted to do was help people, face-to-face, not analyze corporate contracts. Fortunately, 1991 was the year she met another influential figure in her life: Valerie Jarrett. Like Michelle, Valerie was a lawyer who left a high-paying job in order to fulfill her desire to help people. The two bonded quickly and Valerie helped Michelle get a job as an assistant to Chicago's mayor, Richard Daley Jr. But this was just the beginning of a lifelong relationship, with Valerie continuing to be a valuable friend and advisor to the family. Speaking of family: In October of 1992, Michelle and Barack were married, though there was little time for a honeymoon. That November was an important election year, and Barack was enlisted into the Project VOTE! initiative, which was designed to help people from Black communities register to vote. Barack worked tirelessly, getting 7,000 people registered in a single week. Then, in 1993, after a couple of years working at City Hall, Michelle found a new job as the executive director of a nonprofit called Public Allies, which sought to connect promising young people with mentors who worked in the public sector. Since Michelle knew firsthand how meeting the right person could lead to life-changing consequences, she felt passionate about the organization's purpose and found the work deeply meaningful.