Sasha Obama, the youngest daughter of Barack and Michelle Obama, celebrated her twentieth birthday on Thursday. To mark the occasion, her parents each took to Instagram to share some throwback photos honoring their daughter.
“Happy birthday, Sasha! You’ve grown so much, and it’s been a joy to watch you become the person we always hoped you’d be,” the former president Barack wrote alongside a photo of himself with a young Sasha. “Your mom and I can’t wait to see where life takes you next.”
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Michelle also shared a throwback photo of Sasha as a small child with her.
“Happy birthday to my darling Sasha! I am so grateful for every laugh we’ve shared — and everything you’ve taught me over the years,” Michelle wrote in the caption. “You’ll always be my little girl, but I couldn’t be prouder of the woman you are becoming. Love you so much! 🎉🥳💗.”
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Sasha is currently a student at the University of Michigan, while her 22 year-old sister Malia just graduated from Harvard University. People Magazine reported that Michelle joked last month that she “almost forgot” that her daughters would be turning 20 and 23 respectively this summer, as Malia’s birthday is on July 4.
“I mean, I’m just like ‘Stop there.’ I don’t even have teenagers anymore,” Michelle said, adding that she is excited about what is to come.
Both Sasha and Malia’s schools shut down in-person learning due to COVID-19, so they spent much of 2020 quarantining with their parents at the family’s Washington, D.C., home and their house on Martha’s Vineyard. Michelle said last year that Sasha had become a “midnight baker” along with Malia and that the former first couple had enjoyed their daughters’ unexpected time home from school.
“This time has allowed us to get some stolen moments back with our girls,” Michelle said. “Those recaptured moments have meant the world to us and I think they’ve made our relationships with our children even stronger.”
In a 2014 interview with TODAY’s Jenna Bush Hager, Barack opened up about his views on fatherhood.
“I think they would say that I am good, fun dad who teeters on the edge of being embarrassing sometimes,” he said at the time. “The one thing the girls know about me is I love ’em to death. Younger parents … ask me why it is that Malia and Sasha turned out so well. I say, ‘Well, first of all, you know — marry somebody who’s going to be a great mom,’ which I did. But second of all, unconditional love sure makes a difference.”
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