Obama Letter to Children - Read the letter Obama wrote to his children with his pending inauguration upon him and the presidential campaign behind him.
Here is the Obama Letter to Children:
Dear Malia and Sasha,
I know that you’ve both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn’t have let you have. But I also know that it hasn’t always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn’t make up for all the time we’ve been apart. I know how much I’ve missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.
When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me—about how I’d make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn’t seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn’t count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that’s why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.
I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential—schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college—even if their parents aren’t rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.
I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you’ll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other.
Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous situations to protect our country—but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and women safe. And I want every child to understand that the blessings these brave Americans fight for are not free—that with the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great responsibility.
That was the lesson your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for equality because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean something.
She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better—and that the unfinished work of perfecting our union falls to each of us. It’s a charge we pass on to our children, coming closer with each new generation to what we know America should be.
I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you’ve had. Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much—although you do have that obligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.
These are the things I want for you—to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That’s why I’ve taken our family on this great adventure.
I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.
Love, Dad
Is it just me or does Obama’s letter to his children, Malia and Sasha, sound like one of his speech writers wrote it?
Is Obama’s letter to Malia and Sasha just a publicity stunt since he agreed to have it published in the January 18, 2009 Parade magazine? Would you want a personal letter to your children published for all to see?
The Obama letter to his daughters is already drawing criticism and it hasn’t even been published yet. Certainly it says some wonderful, idealistic things, but would you write this to your children? It is very impersonal and could be written to most anyone, not those he loves most.
Chatter is not fooled by the impersonal blah, blah, blah. If he wanted what was best for his children, he would have never put them in a position to be assassination targets, requiring Secret Service protection for the rest of their lives.
That’s the latest chatter about the Obama Letter to Children.
Tags: barack obama, Malia Obama, michelle obama, Obama letter to children, Obama's letter to daughters, Sasha Obama
January 15th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
yeah, his speech writer wrote it, as he writes most of his own speeches.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:30 am
I think everyone should stop finding fault in all President-elect Obama is trying to do for our country and his family. Start respecting him for who he is, Our President and Leader (in less than 1 week.) You should be praying for him and his family! You might want to include yourself in that prayer as well, to help bring you understanding and to respect for the President -elect and all that he is putting on the line for his family and country. Get ready to embrace change people. If you can’t do that, I truly feel sory for you.
January 19th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Unfortunately, as a president, Mr. Obama will always be the target of criticism. Even more unfortunate, as a black man it will be very hard for him to catch a break anywhere.
Impersonal or not, the ideas and hopes that he expresses should resound with everyone. What’s wrong with wanting these things for his own children and everyone elses? And expressing his reasons for wanting to be president is not a time to be mushy. It’s a very serious decision and should be expressed as such.
As a well educated and eloquent man, this is an excellent letter. There are times when I speak to my own son in this manner so that he understands that life is not easy and there will always be challenges. But he can rise above these challenges and excel unaffected by limits or boundaries. I tell him the truth. That’s what this letter does. It tells the truth. Truth is told independent of emotion or public opinion or societal acceptance.
What do you believe and why do you believe it?
January 19th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
Wow! I read that letter and realized it was the exact same ideals that me and my three siblings were raised on. I am thankful for the cynics in the world, that will waste thier time to find the negative, rather then invest thier time to find solutions to bigger problems. I am sorry for what has caused you your cynicism, but I thank you for showing me, although we may not have all the worldly goods, we can recognize good in a person. We have not yet become so jaded, that everything has to be seen as the cup half empty.
Hopefully your day will come soon, when you can stop and realize the ideals in that letter, are something worth sharing. Your cynicism on the other hand, in these difficult times, I could live without.
January 20th, 2009 at 9:40 am
That is the most ridiculous critique I’ve ever heard. My students would call you a “hater” as in, you can’t even deal with anything positive without putting a negative spin on it. Obama can write his ass off…check out his 2 memoirs. And as for his becoming president for his kids….I am sure he did. There is no other reason, unless one is power hungry, and I don’t believe he is. He is doing it for the same reason I’m so glad, so that kids of color can no longer make excuses about what they can’t do because society isn’t ready to see a Black or brown person do it. So just please, stop hating on this event. But thanks for posting the letter so I could use it in class.
January 24th, 2009 at 1:10 am
Is it that hard for people to fathom that a person of color has the same ideals and dreams for their children as people of European descent and can pen their thoughts also?
Why does it have to be a publicity stunt? Maybe after campaigning for two years, President Obama decided he wanted to write a letter to his daughters to express to them the love he has for them as they embark on this new journey together. He probably wrote a letter to Michelle also. That one remained private. Believe it or not President Obama is a man of character who loves his family and happens to be Black. Welcome to the reality!
January 25th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
There is only one reason why some people criticizes Obama… it is because of ENVY. Everytime a person criticizes another it is because there is something in him which is empty and needs for attention. It is only in this manner that he/she can be noticed. There are people in this world whose role is FAULT FINDER. He/she sees nothing good in the person except himself and never rejoices in the success of others. I pity you because you live isolated and only think of yourself. WAKE UP be happy with what Obama did for his children.
January 26th, 2009 at 10:11 am
Its a wondful words for the kid and i think that all parents shold do thesame, should let there children know how important there children are to them. obama has been a man of vision and great dreams of life. I know is going to take world to a great hight through the help of God and with our prayers as well. Mr president is a Man of character
February 1st, 2009 at 5:05 am
The full text of letter from an Iranian teacher to American president Obama about his letter to his children
In the name of God
Sir president Mr. Obama, hello
You know well that your dear Malia and Sasha had a lot of fun these two last years on the campaign trail. You know that as excited as they both are about that new puppy.
You have written them that their smiles always make your heart hot and light up. You have said that you was in wrong to think all life is about you, you have found that your own life wouldn’t count for much unless you was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours.
You have said: ” that’s why I ran for President: because of what I want for child in this nation”.
Sir President,
If some day we say lie to ourselves wished or unwished, we will realize this lie sooner than everyone and this matter stimulates our conscience, of course the sound that only we ourselves hear it, and we can’t denial it.
If we say lie to our relatives, they will understand it sooner than all others and this shout will arise from their inside.
Sir President,
Don’t you suppose that if you think more, so you will reach to this result that while you can have all happy and gladness opportunities in your life that you ran for president for American, Iraqian ,Afghanian and Ghaze and worlds children?
Sir President,
If you think more, won’t you conclude that the world is full of Malia and Sasha?
Do tomorrows your Malia and Sasha won’t read children’s adventure from other parts of world and know that day in which your daughters were excited for their new puppy, the children from Ghaze and Iraq , etc were excited for what!? Don’t they ask you, why did you (my father) buy this happiness for us too expensive? Don’t they ask you, what is this exchange by which you have soled afterlife and God’s satisfaction to be able to buy world, its peace and calm?
Sir President you said that:
“I want to push our own human boundaries to reach being the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other”. But you did not say how? Is it possible to achieve this important matter, destroying all other religious and nations?
Sir President you said that:
“Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous situations to protect our country”. But whereas it is usual that it is not necessary to violate the far and weak countries for protecting country, unless some one wants to establish our home on their plundered capitals and tomorrow if your Malia and Sashai read the history and inform about what was happened in the world and wealth of American was obtained by which cost, won’t the sweetness of this excitement due to have a puppy turn to bitter? Don’t have the American soldiers Malia and Sasha? Is you were soldier, did you like to separate you from Malia and Sasha and send you to the war?
Sir President,
Didn’t Christ (peace be upon him) learn you like his brother Mohammad (May God send greetings to him) that ” what you accept it for yourself, also accept it for others and what you don’t accept for yourself, also don’t accept for others”?
Sir President you said that:
“Great privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great responsibility”, Did you think also how much is responsibility of privilege of slavery for God and being the follower of Christ ?
Did you think if today the Christ (peace be upon him) wants to manage , How he manage it?
Sir President I accept one of your speeches that you said to your children:
“it is only when you hitch your wagon to some your true potential”. Now that you yourself belief this speech, why do you hitch yourself and your children to and American? Hitch yourself to the human and humanity, to the God, don’t you think that this hitch will create a much greater potential in infinite value in you and your children?
Sir President,
God willing, think again about your letter to your children , because when a man wants to give a gift , it should be the best one.
By a teacher from Iran-Yazd
Yours respectfully
Alireza Jalali
May 7th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
All of you on this site should read Neale David’s trilogy “Conversations with God” an unusual dialogue and then come back to Obama’s letter to his children and see the part that each and everyone of you , including those in this “chatter.com”… this includes myself,…plays in making the world what it is today. At the least it will make you think at best You will know who you truly are.
Cheers
By a mum from New Zealand.
By the way I am at the ” will make you think stage”