The Girl of Ames

I just finished this book about eleven childhood friends how grew up in Ames, Iowa. The story is about how these women have remained friends well int their forties and why friendship among women is so important.

The book gave some interesting statistics:

• Close friendships- even more close than family ties- help prolong women's lives
• A woman who wants to be healthier and more psychologically fit in her old age is better off having one close friend than half-a-dozen grandchildren
• Women with strong friendships often have closer marriages- one explanation is women who are good at intimacy with friends are good at intimacy with husbands-- also researchers say that women with close friends don't burden their husbands with all of their emotional needs

Pretty interesting, huh? Hug your girlfriends.... your life depends on it! :)