I received a cryptic text from my mother today about Michelle Obama, and how much she has done for women. In the world we live in today, it is, sadly, not unheard of for women to simply remind one another of those who are actively working towards protecting our rights. However, something about my mom's text told me this went deeper than the typical Trump Era "we'll be okay" thought.
A quick Google search showed me the incredibly monumental announcement that I, and likely plenty of other Americans, had casually missed today. Michelle Obama, America's favorite first lady, announced today that her beautiful daughters are a result of IVF technology.
Even Republicans would be hard pressed to deny the impact Michelle, Sasha, and Malia Obama have had on women over the past eight years. These vibrant and thoughtful women have been the picture of dignity, grace under pressure, and adaptation that our country so desperately needs. However you feel about Barack Obama, you simply must admit that the women who surround him are tremendously strong, graceful, and have ushered in a new era of women empowerment.
Many women many not fully understand the impact today's announcement holds. Michelle Obama, in a matter of moments, has legitimized Assisted Reproductive Technology. She has reminded us that anyone; even the President's wife; is not immune to infertility. She has shown us that we can persevere, This goes beyond race and political party. Suddenly, there are women who are united who may never have realized that battles we have shared. Infertility discriminates without judgement; First Lady Obama has reminded us of that, whether we publicly admit it or not. At the end of the day...there is so much that connects us.
How lucky we are to be alive right now. In an era in which the First Lady can admit that her daughters are a result of ART. I must not be the only woman in the world who was reminded today that our children may not have existed if it were not for the freedoms laid out for us two hundred years ago. I must not be the only woman in the country who was reminded today that Women's Voices Matter. Michelle Obama has long been a voice of women. Today, she became a voice of the infertile. For a First Lady to admit that reproduction is not guaranteed? That is huge.
I've admired Michelle Obama for many years. Today, I am rejoicing. For such an admirable public figure to give a voice to ART? I honestly could not have imagined this moment had I tried. She is just one woman. And yet...one woman, who finds herself in the public eye...can do so much to educate the world.