Michelle Obama recently shared a poignant moment from her life after the death of her mother, Marian Robinson, in May 2024. On a recent episode of her podcast “IMO,” co-hosted with her brother Craig Robinson, Michelle revealed the words Barack Obama spoke to her after the loss.

She recalled that Barack jokingly told her, “You’re next up” after her mother’s passing. Michelle, taken aback by this, responded, saying she wasn’t ready to take that role. She humorously added, “You’re next up, and Craig is next up. I delegate that power to you.”

Marian Robinson, 86, passed away in May of 2024, and Michelle had shared the news on social media. Michelle’s father, Fraser C. Robinson, passed away in 1991 at the age of 55.

Reflecting on her mother’s death, Michelle explained that it marked a significant life shift. “That’s really when you become an adult,” she said, explaining that the death of parents brings a new responsibility. “We become the parent, the convener, the glue,” she added, acknowledging that each of us eventually steps into that role.

She and Craig discussed the heavy burden of losing both parents, with Michelle emphasizing that there is no easy way to handle such a change, no matter how old you are. Despite taking care of her mom, Michelle shared that, “In the end, she’s my mother,” and that her wisdom was always beyond hers.

Michelle also opened up about how she has turned to therapy to help herself transition into this new phase of life, finding support as she navigates the emotional shift after her mother’s death.