TBT Gem! “There are things that are important. And you’ll need to fight for them in your lives.”

April 14, 2016 | Public Domain

Throwback Thursday Gem from the Archive: POTUS Intern Q&A two years later, to the day (from April 14, 2014)

“Somebody once described parenthood as having your heart outside your body walking around. And that’s how it feels, I have friends whose kids are older, I mean in their thirties and forties, and I just don’t think that stops. You just have this free floating anxiety that ‘are my kids ok? And are they going to be ok? And sometimes when you start thinking about public policy, you think in those terms. So when I think about climate change, I’m projecting, Malia and Sasha will have their kids, are they able to go to a park and do the same things that I used to do with them when they were kids, even if I’m not around, those are the kinds of things that get me anxious, and keep me up at night.
You’ve grown up in a culture that’s very sophisticated, you’re more sophisticated than I was at your age, you have more information at your fingertips, but...don't be cynical. You should be skeptical, and ask questions, and don’t accept conventional wisdom. But things matter. The work you do and the choices you make and the character with which you live your lives matters. There are things that are important. And you’ll need to fight for them in your lives.”