Michelle Obama graces the cover of Vogue‘s April 2013 issue, on newsstands March 26.

On the importance of family: “Our job is, first and foremost, to make sure our family is whole. You know, we have small kids; they’re growing every day. But I think we were both pretty straightforward when we said, Our No. 1 priority is making sure that our family is whole.”

On her mother Marian: “My mother doesn’t do interviews but let me tell you: She is not long on pretense. She’s the first one to remind us who we are. And it’s been very helpful having her living with us... We can check reality against her sensibilities.”

On what she’s learned from her husband, President Barack Obama: “Well, patience and calm I’m borrowing. Or trying to mirror. I’ve learned that from my husband, that sort of, you know, ability to not get too high or too low with changes and bumps in the road... to do more breathing in and just going with it. I’m learning that every day. And to the extent that I’ve made changes in my life, it’s just sort of stepping back and seeing a change not as something to guard against but as a wonderful addition... that can make life fun and unexpected.”