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Sasha Obama Is 20 Today, and I'm Not Old, You're Old

The Obamas' youngest daughter has officially departed her teenage years.

Maybe itโ€™s because Iโ€™m from the South Side of Chicago and vividly remember meeting a pre-parenthood Michelle Obama back in 1994, but like a distant relative who only catches up with the cousins every few years, I have a specific timeframe that flashes through my mind every time I think of the Obama daughters. You know, something like this:

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Yes, like all of you, Iโ€™ve watched the former first daughters grow up from afar and hit milestones like going to prom and collegeโ€”and have even reported on them. And yes, I can do basic math. But like all adults living in denial of their own advancing age, theyโ€™re still preserved in amber in my mind, forever little girls with silk presses and pre-orthodontist smiles.

As such, I was not ready to see Sasha Obama trending today for anything other than being her typically cute self. But no. Baby girl turned 20 today.

https://twitter.com/mefeater/status/1403007481685680129

Thatโ€™s right, the Obamaโ€™s youngest has officially exited her teens, and while sheโ€™s still got another year before earning all the legal rights of adulthood, it admittedly hit me in the feels. Obviously, Iโ€™m not the only one whoโ€™ll always envision Sasha in the single-digits; despite the well-circulated photos of a now grown and gorgeous college co-ed, her mom and dad both posted photos of a pint-sized Sasha as they welcomed their daughter into her twenties.

โ€œHappy birthday to my darling Sasha!โ€ wrote Mom-in-Chief Michelle on Instagram alongside a picture of Sasha atop her lap. โ€œI am so grateful for every laugh weโ€™ve sharedโ€”and everything youโ€™ve taught me over the years. Youโ€™ll always be my little girl, but I couldnโ€™t be prouder of the woman you are becoming. Love you so much!โ€

Aww! Sheโ€™ll always be our little girl, too! Of course, her proud papa also made a tribute, posting a darling photo of him carrying his youngest as she grinned over his shoulder.

โ€œHappy birthday, Sasha! Youโ€™ve grown so much, and itโ€™s been a joy to watch you become the person we always hoped youโ€™d be,โ€ wrote the former president. โ€œYour mom and I canโ€™t wait to see where life takes you next.โ€

Yes, they grow so fastโ€”and while thatโ€™s only rational, I canโ€™t help feeling irrationally sentimental about Americaโ€™s baby girl stepping over the threshold into adulthood. As for what that says about my own rapidly advancing age, Iโ€™m not old, you are.

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