I enjoy reading women’s memoirs. At Christmas, I received a copy of Michelle Obama’s BECOMING. In the preface, she outlines the value of our personal stories, validating the life story of each and every woman. “Even when it’s not pretty or perfect. Even when it’s more real than you want it to be.”
Michelle Obama goes on to say, “Your story is what you have, what you will always have. It is something to own.” In BECOMING, Obama gives readers a look at her childhood, relationships, education, career and experience of the White House. She tells her story with courage, honesty and humor. She owns it.
Reading this memoir was like spending time with Michelle Obama. I got to know about her life, her values, her focus and discipline, and her buoyant spirit. Finishing the book left me wanting more, like a walk in the park, a cup of coffee, a conversation with the former first lady and author. In her book, she writes about enjoying weekends with women friends, something we have in common.
A woman’s challenges of balancing motherhood and career, a husband’s propensities and goals and her own, the rules and spontaneity, are all relatable. I admire how Michelle Obama towed the golden line, at times veering away from it and then coming back to connect with her authentic self and what is important to her. Through it all, while under intense public scrutiny, she managed to remain emotionally available, optimistic, teetering at times, but ultimately strengthened and not jaded by the many challenges she faced.
I found it especially heartening to read about the moment of internal reckoning that happened when Obama stepped out into a new situation, when she wondered if she had what it would take to meet it. When the thought, “Am I good enough?” presented itself, Obama learned to respond with “Yes, I am”. This is a testament to the power of self-awareness and choosing your own internal dialogue, a valuable take-away from the book.
Of course, at times, the former first lady questioned herself, the only way to avoid that is to never step out into something new, or to deny the inner voice. Reading BECOMING reminded me how much we are alike, how our humanity unites rather than divides us. Telling our story cracks the door open for our selves and others. Telling it honesty is an act of generosity that opens the door wide.
