Mrs. Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama has done it again. For a woman who has been breaking barriers her entire life (first African-American First Lady, most educated First Lady, etc.), I should have known her personal memoir, Becoming, and subsequent book tour would be something to remember. With over 1 million books sold in the first week alone, Mrs. Obama’s ‘Becoming’ is one of, if not THE best-selling political memoir of all time. For a non-fiction book to sell this fast is almost unheard of. I remember all the negativity surrounding Mrs. Obama’s name for the eight years she served as First Lady and was starting to feel like there were more people who were against her than supported her. However, with her record-breaking book sales and unprecedented excitement for her book tour, I am seeing more people are enamored with her just as I am. (Due to the growing excitement, Mrs. Obama announced additional tour dates, including international stops in both Canada and Europe.)
If you get your hands on a coveted book tour ticket, I highly encourage you to go and listen with an open heart and mind no matter your political party affiliation, sexual orientation, or social status. The message Mrs. Obama provides throughout her honest conversation with the moderator and audience, is for every woman, with even a few gems for the men who love them.
I was so emotionally moved by the stories Mrs. Obama shared so freely because I was able to relate to many of them. She spoke about topics one would typically only open up about with one or two people within your intimate circle. She expressed pain, anxiety, and fear that she was never allowed to show while being the wife of a Senator and the First Lady. Listening to her I couldn’t imagine the level of scrutiny she was under in her suffocating world, yet managing to make it all look so effortless.
While sitting in the audience listening to Mrs. Obama speak, I took a second to look around. I saw women from all walks of life in the audience. From the nosebleed seats to the VIP sections, women of all ages, races, disabilities, and lifestyles looked up at Mrs. Obama in awe that they had the privilege to hear her story firsthand. I must also give credit to the men in the audience, mainly significant others, equally engrossed in Mrs. Obama’s story.
Her memoir ‘Becoming’ is a page-turner as well. As I read each page, I feel as if Mrs. Obama is sitting on my couch talking only to me as if we have been best friends for 20+ years. For so many years I have referred to Mrs. Obama as strong, fearless, and damn near perfect. However, within her memoir, Mrs. Obama became more human. The fact that she went through many of the same struggles a lot of us face while being such a highly visible public figure is the epitome of grace and poise. In addition, Mrs. Obama revealed she struggled to find her true path and not be overshadowed, or rather fully engulfed, in the grandiosity of her husband’s growing legacy. In short, this autobiography is a reminder for all of us to walk in our truth and no matter how tough circumstances become, we are all on a journey where we are ‘becoming’ the best versions of ourselves.
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“Becoming,” is everything “Lean In,” wanted to be. As Auntie Michelle said “that sh*t doesn’t always work.” Like the author, I too am Becoming. Women and girls of all walks of life can look up to Michelle Obama for inspiration to “become” who THEY want and are destined to be. Sheryl didn’t give me that.
Although I have not read or listened to this book yet, it intrigues me and makes me want to learn a bit more of her backstory. I haven’t even watched the movie, “Southside with You,” but now I will. I can appreciate her transparency and humble nature. The resounding response to her book amazes me and I can wholeheartedly agree with her that we are ever becoming. You don’t just arrive upon hitting one goal. Growth & learning is and will always be continuous, as it should be.