Michelle Obama celebrates a milestone birthday; ‘This is what 60 looks like,’ gushes Barack

Some things — and people — just get better with age, and Michelle Obama is one of them. On Wednesday, January 17, the former first lady celebrated her 60th birthday, and among the outpouring of well wishes from friends and followers was a tribute from her husband of 31 years, Barack Obama.

Sharing a sundrenched photo of his wife beaming in a seaside setting on Instagram, the former president captioned the post:

“This is what 60 looks like. Happy birthday to my better half — who happens to be one of the funniest, smartest, most beautiful people I know. @MichelleObama, you make every day better. I can’t wait to see what this new decade brings you.”

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While the Obamas didn’t share further details of how they chose to commemorate Michelle’s milestone birthday, the longtime couple definitely have reason to celebrate this season. In addition to Barack’s recent Emmy win for Best Narrator for the Netflix documentary series “Working: What We Do All Day,” which the Obamas also produced, another project from their Higher Ground Productions, the Jon Batiste Netflix documentary “American Symphony,” has been shortlisted for an Academy Award. The Obamas’ seemingly seamless transition from the White House into the entertainment world echoes the oft-idealized perceptions of their decades-long marriage. As previously reported by theGrio, Michelle recently dispelled some of those perceptions — and their perpetual status as #CouplesGoals — during an interview on Jay Shetty’s podcast.

“I know how to talk to him about [conflicts] and when because we’ve practiced it,” she told Shetty, admitting, “We’ve made a lot of mistakes. We’ve gotten it wrong. And after 31 years, we’re getting better at it, and it gets better and better.” 

Still, she said, “I wouldn’t trade in my marriage for anything in the world — with all the ups and downs, with all the running-for-president stuff.”

As the couple celebrated their 31st anniversary last October, Michelle declared, “31 years, and a lifetime to go.” Similarly, the Grio salutes the former first lady and what we hope are many, many more birthdays and milestones to come.

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