The telenovela superstar opens up about personal challenges

As an international star of music and television, Thalía is beloved the world over. In Growing Stronger she shares the moving story of her struggle against personal tragedy. Here’s an excerpt.

(Note: The following is the complete prelude from Thalía’s autobiography Growing Stronger (Cada día más fuerte)

PRELUDE

Growing Stronger emerged from a need to relate my life experiences as well as my constant struggle to prevail each day, and as a reminder to myself of the importance of never giving up. There are moments that are decisive and transcendental, which have in some way impacted me deeply, a path that I had to chart, no matter how or where I was. The important thing was the desire and decision to do so—to conquer it, to walk it, to experience it, take it in, and most of all, to live it fully.

As I wrote this book, I also lived through two critical and transformative events: my second pregnancy, the announcement of a new life that I will soon hold in my arms, inviting joy to knock on my door once again; and the death of my beloved mother, the single most important person in my life, whose total devotion, support, direction, excellent counsel and unconditional love armed me with the tools to face this moment of joy that came with the arrival of our family’s newest member, but also the total devastation of her sudden loss.

I started the book during a time when I felt that I had found myself, existing on a plane of optimal and harmonious balance regarding my thoughts and feelings alike, having made peace with my past—and I finished the book with a sense of fullness and liberation that I, in turn, wanted to share with you.

But God had other plans, and because the book was already in production, I decided to include and share the latest of my great tests—the irreparable loss of my mother, who is the most cherished person in my life.

One week prior to her death, my mother—such the enthusiast about everything—held this finalized manuscript, which she not only read twice, but also edited, adding her comments where necessary and making revisions that we instantly addressed in the book.

Since I was a little girl, I have witnessed the strength and courage that energized my mother, who left every sorrow and pain in the past, who would work unyieldingly to obtain her goals, who was the great warrior from whom I learned all the values that are today fundamental pillars of my every day.
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We caught up with Thalía, who just released a new memoir, Growing Stronger, and she dished on everything from how it feels to have her second baby to how she managed to handle the death of her mother—and as it turns out, writing this book was a big part of her recovery.

Growing Stronger touches on a lot of personal aspects in your life like losing your mother and welcoming your second child. What inspired you to write this memoir?

It was really born out a strong need to release my emotions and share it with all of my fans. My life has had many transformations so I wanted to express that to the world. I have been blessed with many great life experiences, but also some really heartbreaking ones. I try to inspire my readers to strive to become better people no matter what tough situation they are going through.

How do you think your experiences will influence your readers?

The biggest gift that I can receive for writing this book is that in some way my stories will inspire people to overcome their challenges, push forward in life, and continue trying new things. I hope that once people read my stories they can walk away feeling more empowered.

You talk about being bullied as a child and living a pretty isolated childhood. What was the transition like between being a loner to a child star?

It really was one of my first grand challenges in life. I was a very private child and all of a sudden I was exposed to the world. All of a sudden you are surrounded by people who adore you and people who critique you. Those parallels helped me mature quickly, but it was also very difficult for me.

You talk a lot about how you met Tommy and reveal that Emilio Estefan helped create the love connection. Are you still thanking Emilio for playing cupid?

Of course! That’s why I dedicated a whole chapter to him. He helped set everything up and we are family now. Emilio and Gloria have shared so many moments of joy and sorrow in my life. They are more than friends – they are family.

How do you feel about being a mom for the second time?

His birth is a blessing and I am completely in love! It has also been very emotional. With the lose of my Mami and the birth of Matthew Alejandro I feel like those two extremes had me going through a lot of strong emotions. One is so painful that I can barely bring myself to talk about it and the other is so miraculous. I try to find the positive side to things and grow stronger from all of the pain. It’s an indescribable and glorious experience to have the life of a child in your hands.

What is Sabrina like as an older sister?

She is obsessed with her baby. Yes, it is her baby. [Laughs] She plays with him, spoils him, and sings to him. She really is convinced it’s her baby! [Laughs]

How would you feel if one of your children told you they want to have a career in the entertainment industry?

I would prefer for them to be engineers, doctors, or psychologists. I would really prefer anything else! I rather them sing and act as a hobby or an escape. I say that because the entertainment industry is very hard. I started very young so I wouldn’t want them to suffer and go through the hard parts of it. If they really were serious about it, then yes Mami would be there to support them. Sabrina does have a great voice and she loves to sing. She is incredible.

Source: Latina