A Long Pause with “Becoming” by Michelle Obama

Somewhere last week, I decided, I was finally going to finish Becoming by Michelle Obama.

It’s been over five years since I first picked up this book. More than five years of batting my lashes, blinking away tears on almost every page. Some were tears of joy; others, of excruciating pain I could almost feel spilling over.

Over time, Becoming became more than just a book it became a companion. A constant through so many seasons of my life. I started reading it in my early twenties, and here I am now, closing it in the final stretch of that decade.


I’ve experienced deep losses while holding this book close. I remember one night vividly, I was talking to my mom about how emotional the part about Michelle’s father was. I turned to my now late sister and said, “I just wouldn’t know how people handle the loss of someone so dear.”
Barely over a year later, I found myself in that exact place, trying to make sense of life without a sister I’d known my entire life. (Strangely, I’ve been talking about her a lot lately, in here)

I often made sure to read Becoming in solitude. There were parts that broke me. I’d cry, then pause for long stretches, just to breathe, to reflect, to let the words sit.

It felt so familiar. So intimate. Like a warm hug.
Inspiring in more ways than I can count.

Now that I’ve turned the last page, I find myself at a loss for words. Just sitting with it all like, “Damn.”

So for the rest of today, I’ll be doing just that, sitting with it all.
Every word that moved me.
Every memory it stirred.
And every gem I’ve gathered from this beautiful, wholehearted read.

Author: Miss Injairu

This is my best kept muse. Have fun. View all posts by Miss Injairu