“I see the sadness and worry that’s creasing his face”

This, from Michelle, made me tear up a little bit. 

….Michelle Obama, in a sleeveless blue dress, stood at a podium beneath a tree bursting with lavender flowers.

She began by recounting her husband’s journey to the White House, beginning with the moment he told her he wanted to run for President.

“I wasn’t exactly thrilled at the idea,” she said. “I still had some cynicism about politics, that was my hesitation.”

But she said she was transformed on the campaign trail after hearing the stories of everyday Americas. She recalled a campaign stop in Iowa before the Democratic primary there, where she grew so comfortable with the people she was chatting with, she kicked off her heels.

“I was just standing barefoot in the grass, just talking to people,” Obama said.

She said the moment made her realize that campaigning is “about meeting people one-on-one and learning about what was going on in their lives.”

And it led to a revelation about Americans: “Whether you grew up on the South Side of Chicago or Iowa, our stories are shared.”

Obama then listed some of the things her husband has done in office during his first two years. “We’ve gone from an economy that was on the brink of collapse to an economy that is starting to grow again,” she said.

She also mentioned healthcare reform, the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Act and the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. She praised “justice” in the killing of Osama bin Laden, and the withdrawal of troops from overseas.

“We are responsibly ending the war in Iraq and have brought home 100,000 servicemen and women,” she said.

The First Lady talked about the toll that his work had taken on her husband.

“I see the sadness and worry that’s creasing his face,” she said.

She described his work ethic as tireless.

“He reads every word, every memo, so he is better prepared than the people briefing him,” she said. “This man doesn’t take a day off.”

Obama said the next few years of campaigning would be difficult at times for the Obamas and their supporters. “It is not going to be easy, and it is going to be long,” she said. “Now more than ever we need you help to finish what we started.”