Obama’s final Thanksgiving message is a touching tribute to his daughters
BY EMMA HINCHLIFFE From Mashable
When Obama took office, Malia was 10 and Sasha was 7. Today, Malia is 18 and Sasha is 15.
President Obama’s Thanksgiving Message 2016
Today, my family will join Americans across the country in sitting down together to give thanks for the good in our lives. This will be the last time we celebrate Thanksgiving in the White House.
For me, this house has served as the backdrop to the tough decisions and trying times that often characterize the Presidency. But it’s also been home — it’s where Michelle and I have watched our daughters grow into the funny, smart, humble, and extraordinary young women they are today.
And when I look back over the years, what strikes me most about my girls is that, despite the challenges that have come their way, they have remained extraordinarily kind. They treat people with the respect and understanding that all of us deserve — no matter who we are, where we come from, who we love, or what we believe. It’s that bedrock belief in decency that can only come from an inherent optimism about the road ahead. And it’s 
what I find in all the young people I meet when I travel the country and the world.
So today, as we gather to spend time with the people who matter most, let’s take some time to remind our children why we are so thankful for them. Because of them, I feel more certain than ever that — no matter what lies ahead — America will always be shaped by those who strive to be kind, giving, and fearless about the future. I’m grateful for that.
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.
IMAGES:
President Obama talks with daughters Sasha and Malia in the Oval Office before the pardoning of the National Thanksgiving Turkey, Nov. 24, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and daughters Sasha and Malia with Bo on the South Lawn of the White House, April 14, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
President Obama walks down the Colonnade with his arms around daughters Malia and Sasha, March 5, 2009. (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)
President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha in the Oval Office, Feb. 2 ,2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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