Becoming is a memoir of former first lady,
Michelle Obama. In her book she shares deeply personal stories from her
childhood, her formative years as a teen on the South Side of Chicago, and through her journey of becoming a wife and
mother while trying to navigate her new role as First Lady of the United
States. She includes personal anecdotes such as learning to play the piano on her aunt's piano with the chipped middle C, her feelings about meeting a certain skinny lawyer whose reputation was bigger than he was, and how she struggled with her identity during her time as First Lady while always in the public eye.
Listening to the audiobook, read by Obama herself, is a little like being in the room with her, chatting with you as a close personal friend. Her tone and story telling abilities invite you into her close circle of friends.
Throughout the book Michelle makes the reader feel like they are an important part of the story. When COVID quarantine first began Michelle did another thing to connect with readers: she started her own podcast.
The Michelle Obama Podcast falls firmly in the "two dude's talking" category. Although she is not a dude, it is a very casual podcast, with Michelle sitting down and talking about relationships with people who play important roles in her life. Episode 1 was recorded in her living room, talking with her husband, Barack. Additional episodes include conversations with her personal aides, her mom friends, and her own mother.
In
Becoming, Michelle talks about how, as her life became increasingly busy, her personal time and workout routine became increasingly important to her. While her husband was President, she had a week at Camp David with some close friends that, much to their surprise included 2-3 workouts a day. Michelle also made public her personal workout
playlist to help others get up and get moving.
In her first book,
American Grown, she shares how she, along with the national parks service--who
preserve the grounds at the White House--started the first working
vegetable garden at the White House. The White House Garden provided fresh fruits and vegetables for the kitchen at the White House, feeding not only the first family, but also foreign visitors at State Dinners. Canned preserves were often given as gifts to dignitaries, and the surplus garden produce was donated to DC shelters and food pantries. White House Staff and DC school children were also given opportunities to work in the garden. Obama was no stranger to encouraging healthy communities, as before
moving into the White House, Michelle worked for a nonprofit that was
directly involved in trying to help her community get healthy and stay
healthy, so the White House Garden was a great union of her new position with her existing passions.
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Like exercising and gardening for Michelle Obama, What is something in your life that helps ground you and makes you feel like yourself?
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