Washington: Barack Obama may be the
world`s most powerful man, but like any other father he is
sometimes worried about the length of his growing daughter`s
skirt and often turns to God seeking the well-being of his
children.
The US President spoke at the National Prayer
Breakfast yesterday, where he started off by touching on more
serious issues like the Tucson shooting incident and the
upheaval in Egypt.
But later, he revealed his lighter side, venturing
into his concerns as a father and poking fun on himself and
his better-half. His worries about Malia, who will turn 12 in
July, found the first mention.
"As I travel across the country, folks often ask me
what is it that I pray for. And like most of you, my prayers
sometimes are general: Lord, give me the strength to meet the
challenges of my office," he said.
"Sometimes they`re specific: Lord, give me patience as
I watch Malia go to her first dance -- (laughter) -- where
there will be boys. Lord, have that skirt get longer as she
travels to that dance," Obama said as the guests gathered at
Washington`s Hilton Hotel burst into laughter.
He confessed that the last two years at the helm of
the United States have only deepened his faith and said that
the presidency "has a funny way of making a person feel the
need to pray".
"Abe Lincoln said, as many of you know, `I have been
driven to my knees many times by the overwhelming conviction
that I had no place else to go`.
"My Christian faith then has been a sustaining force
for me over these last few years. All the more so, when
Michelle and I hear our faith questioned from time to time, we
are reminded that ultimately what matters is not what other
people say about us but whether we`re being true to our
conscience and true to our God," he said.
He said over the past two years, as his presidential
term has had its own share of controversies, he has
recurrently felt the need for his head to remain on his
shoulders.
But, he joked that given a critic of a wife like
Michelle, it has not bee much difficult for him to retain his
humility.
"That`s why a second recurring theme in my prayers is
a prayer for humility. Now, God answered this prayer for me
early on by having me marry Michelle. Because whether it`s
reminding me of a chore undone, or questioning the wisdom of
watching my third football game in a row on Sunday, she keeps
me humble," Obama said amid roars of laughter.
PTI
