I had the privilege of reading a lot over my 2 week vacation. The last book I read while relaxing on the sunny beaches of Maine was The Girls from Ames. It was especially touching; a story about a close-knit group of women  and their 40 year friendships. The girls shared a bond that brought them from childhood, through their teenage years and into adulthood. Together they shared laughter and tears... Good times and bad... They got married, had children, and some survived divorce, others cancer and the loss of loved ones.

In this book written by Jeffrey Zaslow, co-author of The Last Lecture with Randy Pausch, the journalist chronicles the lives of these 10 women. His mission was to find why women's friendships are so strong and how they vastly differ from men's.

I have not had the privilege of being a part of a closely knit group of girls for the past 40 years, but over the years I have had some truly extraordinary friendships. Each friend has a place and serves a purpose. Some know my innermost secrets... some are there to make me laugh... some are there to lend an ear or a shoulder to cry on, some challenge me on an intellectual level. Some are new, and some are old and each friend has a special place in my life.

This book is a toast to women and women's friendships... so to my girlfriends... a toast to you and go and pick up this great read. You will thank me!

XOXO