Michelle Obama pays tribute to her late mother Marian two months after her passing

Michelle Obama has vowed to carry on the legacy of her late mother by "lifting up others the best I can".

The former First Lady praised her mother, Marian Robinson, on what would have been her 87th birthday on July 30.

Robinson passed away on May 31 after an eventful life that included living in the White House when her son-in-law Barack became president.

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Her granddaughters Malia and Sasha were just 10 and seven, respectively, when the White House became home in 2009.

Michelle shared a photo of her mother on Instagram two months following her death, admitting "these past couple of months have been tough without her" while saying she was "so grateful" for the "outpouring of love" shown to the family.

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Writing on what would have been her mother's birthday Michelle said: "even though she's no longer with us, I still think she's worth celebrating".

"What I loved most about my mom might have been this: She always felt like she was enough.

"The tiny two bedroom walk-up apartment we used to live in; the faux chimney she would fashion for us out of cardboard during the holidays; the at-home hair-dos she would give herself using the oven and a hot comb – she was always happy with what she had.

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"And because she felt like she was enough, she could help others feel that too. She did that countless times for me and my brother Craig. She did it for her family and friends.

"She did it for the staff at the White House. She did it for everyone she knew."

Robinson was a lifelong Chicago resident when she moved to the executive mansion in the White House in 2009, initially resisting the move until Michelle and her brother managed to convince her.

She had never travelled outside the US until she moved to Washington. Her first flight out of the country was aboard Air Force One in 2009 when the Obamas visited France.

Michelle continued: "So today, on her birthday, I am celebrating the immense power there was in her enoughness. And I am committing myself to carrying forward her legacy of lifting up others the best I can."

In her 2018 memoir Becoming, Michelle wrote of her mother: "I would not be who I am today without the steady hand and unconditional love of my mother, Marian Shields Robinson.

"She has always been my rock, allowing me the freedom to be who I am, while never allowing my feet to get too far off the ground.

"Her boundless love for my girls, and her willingness to put our needs before her own, gave me the comfort and confidence to venture out into the world knowing they were safe and cherished at home."

Michelle's father Fraser Robinson died in 1991 after suffering from multiple sclerosis.

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