Friendship for Grown-Ups by Lisa Welchel
Of course I was originally drawn to this book because it is written by an actress from one of my favorite 80’s t.v. shows, The Facts of Life. Lisa Welchel is best known for playing “Blair”, the rich, spoiled, self obsessed one of the girls. However, it quickly becomes clear that Lisa Welchel is not much like the character she played on t.v. In fact, Lisa is obviously extremely self aware and striving to be and do all that God has planned for her. I personally have not seen a book that so specifically addresses the topic of making and strengthening adult female relationships. After reading this book, I am left wondering why this topic is not explored more than it is, especially in the Christian community. Lisa takes a disarmingly raw and honest look at female friendships, what makes them work, and how to strengthen them. She bares the ups and downs of her own struggle with building friendships. The examples she gives of both good and bad relationships in her own life is at times emotional and I applaud her willingness to be so open about them. She analyses her friendships to help the reader be able to do the same. For example, Lisa spends much time on what it means to have a “safe” friend, and what experiences she has had when a friend she thought was safe turns out to be less than. She explains not only why safe friends are important to have, but also how to be one yourself. I think this is a rare gem of a book, especially if you struggle with connecting on a deeper level with the female friends in your life. Best of all, this book is extremely applicable in that Lisa includes both an appendix with a list of “practical steps for developing and growing friendships”, and “conversation prompts” to help take frienships to the next level of intimacy. Disclosure: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
