FYI: This post has nothing to do with politics! 
As we celebrated International Women’s Day last week, the internet was full of positive quotes, outlook and inspirational perspectives on the power of the women in our lives and the ones we idolize. It got me thinking about the most inspired I’d been in the last year: the docu-series Being Serena, on HBO (seriously, check it out!) and the book Becoming by Michelle Obama. (I’ll just call her Michelle right here because I feel like we’re basically friends now )
A couple of my close friends and I formed what I like to call a “pop-up book club” and had some great discussion. Among all of the differences between the ladies in our group, we all identified with Becoming and were most engaged by Michelle’s tale of balancing motherhood and career. It dominated our conversation.
As I read through her humorous, sincere and sometimes gritty descriptions of her childhood, college days, meeting her husband and becoming a mom, I was totally enthralled by her grit, tenderness and fortitude. It made me feel like the constant struggle to maintain sanity while taking care of everyone and myself is all too common. Michelle’s characterization of the famed and seemingly impossible, “work-life balance” that we all seek, is totally relatable.
One of my favorite moments in the book is where she describes sitting in her car, in a strip-mall on her lunch break, enjoying some Chipotle and a little solitude. Haven’t we ALL been there?!
I cannot concisely express how much substance and brilliance this memoir contains. Michelle discusses, among many things, the impact of politics on her family, racism, moving to the White House, societal critique on her every word and the constant contemplation of her next move. While I personally had less connection with the later parts of the book, her central concern remained the same, how will my children be impacted by the decisions that we’ve made for them?
My recommendation is to read the book, obviously, but read it slowly. Take your time with it. There is so much to pause, reflect upon and digest as she chronicles through various parts of her life. There were moments where I felt the urge to go hug my kids, call my mom, and enjoy the wonderful things in my life. There were also moments where I felt a call to action to serve others. Reading and feeling so much in a quick time frame was a little overwhelming for me, so buy the book and read it over a couple of months. I mean, we know how it ends, so no rush there, right?
Becoming is an inspiring read, and it’s title expertly captures the theme and feeling of the book. It leaves an ending to be determined and reminds us that we are all a work in progress. We each have a story to be told, should be proud of where we’ve come from and optimistic on who we have yet to become.
I like the idea of the book club!
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