I've got friends in high places...

Tonight I'm watching the state of the union address. I am, for the most part, listening to what President Obama has to say about the health of our country, but I'm also finding my mind wandering off to ask other questions about the behind-the-scenes life of the Obamas. Questions such as, "I wonder what it is like to be Michelle Obama?" and, "Who does she consider to be her good friend(s) in this season of her life?" and, "Who does she call when she needs a cup of sugar?" have been crossing my mind over the past hour. I can't help but wonder what the past couple of years have been like for her and Barack since that day in January of 2009 when the fate of our country fell upon their shoulders. I find myself struggling to determine who my "best" friends are on a weekly basis, and I am, quite literally, a nobody. I can't imagine what it is like to be in their shoes, where everyone is vying for a moment of your time and for your complete and undivided attention. I'm sure it would be easy to become jaded and assume that everyone has a MO behind their conversation with you, or that they are just trying push their own agenda on you. How do people in power maintain friendships? Is it even possible to be completely honest and candid with your friends when you are in a role that holds that much power? Tonight's state of the union has me feeling thankful that I am not a woman in a role of power because it's hard enough to know who to trust when you don't necessarily have friends in high places. All this friendship contemplation is also making me feel thankful that I have such a loyal, trustworthy husband who I can always call my best friend, even when I am at my worst.