I am often asked, “why did you write The Healing Power of Girlfriends?”.
A very valid question and definitely one worth asking! Here is a little background on how I came to “give birth” to this playbook for female friendships.
Several years ago, I hosted a weekend retreat for women in Galveston entitled, “The Healing Power of Girlfriends,” and I introduced much of my original work to the group of ladies who were there to learn more about relationships. At the end of the weekend, most of the participants shared they were greatly impacted by this new material and encouraged me to put it in a book so that people everywhere could benefit.
This same year I also vacationed on the beach in Mexico with one of my BFF’s, Kathy. She and her husband have been longtime friends of my husband and myself. As Kathy and I chatted away under our beach umbrella, her husband shared a quick observation. He pointed out that although we had not lived in the same state for over 20 years, our friendship was still vibrant, alive and close. He wanted to know what our secret for success was.
Without skipping a beat, Kathy and I both chimed in at the same moment that we made a pact when I moved to Texas that distance and time would not steal our precious friendship. And, we made it work, although there were periods while raising our children we did not see each other for 6 years at a time. Of course, this was also before cell phones and social media, so our methods of staying in touch were letters, cards, and calling on our land lines. Kathy’s husband marveled at our commitment to longevity in the relationship, and concluded I should think about sharing these key ingredients for a friendship recipe in a book!
Last year on March 8, 2019, International Women’s Day, my new book on female friendships was published and since then I have been on an international book tour and doing media events. I love sharing my message and speaking to groups large or small. Hearing how my book has resonated with women during a difficult trial in their life has been rewarding beyond words. I am excited to share that we have also just launched a beautiful new website as the perfect resource to provide articles, podcasts, media, upcoming events, coaching, and an online store for women of all ages. I cannot think of a better way to celebrate a new decade than with a new place to learn about how to live your best life through female friendships.
My passion has always been to make an impact in the arena of women’s health. Being able to connect with women of all ages as I speak at a myriad of events around the country has reinforced for me WHY I wrote this book and pushed through many personal challenges to get it into print. Why, you ask? Because people matter and they are hungry for love and friendship. Because we are more isolated today than ever before as a society. Because research now informs us that we women live our healthiest, happiest, and most importantly, longest lives when we regularly connect with our girlfriends. Because, in the end, CONNECTION matters!
