We are excited about Michelle Obama launching the young reader version of her bestselling memoir, Becoming. However, it is her cute and yet insightful Q&A with Zaya Wade, daughter of basketball icon Dwayne Wade, that warms our hearts even more.
At the beginning of their session, Zaya could not help but fangirl over her idol in the Instagram recorded interview. “I’m meeting an idol. I’m literally meeting an idol,” Zaya gushed at the start of the interview last Thursday. “[I’ve been] preparing for this moment for so long.”
The 13-year-old and the former first lady shared advice on how one can become the best version of themselves and how great things happen out of our comfort zones. The pair spoke along the lines of it being okay not to have everything figured out now and accepting the new changes and challenges that one may face in life, especially as a teenager.
“We all think that we thrive with people who are just like us,” Zaya said. “Getting a different perspective from someone else who isn’t like you really helps. And that definitely helped me in becoming me and defining my truth.”
Zaya, who identifies as a transgender, came out to the world when she was just 12 knowing very well that inasmuch as many would embrace her with open arms, there will be others who would come at her guns blazing, and they did.
Her dad and stepmom, Gabrielle Union-Wade, together with the rest of the family, have been by her side. Mrs. Obama during the interview praised her for being a role model and embracing her truth regardless of what society might think. This was after Zaya asked for advice for “teens who want to be themselves and thrive.”
“I am just so proud of you, you know being just an amazing role model and embracing your truth, right?” the former first lady answered.
“It does take time to know what yourself is, for young people. So, my first piece of advice is to be patient with yourself, No. 1,” Obama said. “This is the period of exploration, and sometimes we put too much pressure on teenagers to know who you’re going to be.”
“You’re not supposed to know yet. Your job now as a teenager is not to have it all figured out but to give yourself space and time to learn and grow. So that means you want to try a lot of things on,” she added, elaborating on a recurring topic in her memoir.
The young reader’s version is intended for readers aged 10 and upwards. The multimillion-selling memoir will still present the truth as it is and not in a “sugarcoated” manner because of the target audience, USA Today reported.
