Heart Sisters: Be the Friend You Want to Have

Source: Amazon.com

Well, the summer months have not ceased to throw stones, so to speak, but there have been moments and events in between the crazy to buoy my spirit and I'm thankful for that. Mostly, it's been fun and conversation with family and close friends that has uplifted me. What would we do without friends? And yet, friendship is a tough topic. If you've been around my blog for a longer period of time, you'll know I've spent the past couple of years seeking wisdom on the making of good, healthy friendships. There's nothing I've longed for more than a couple close friends who know me absolutely and in whose friendship I am confident. I've read and reviewed books of every related topic possible. So, I was very excited when a friend brought the Christian title Heart Sisters, by Natalie Chambers Snapp, to my attention.

Snapp's term Heart Sisters is defined as "the women you want to be around during your own major milestones. They will hold you up when you’re falling but will also rejoice with you when there’s rejoicing to be done." Looking at the Table of Contents alone presents Snapp's book as one that will discuss the hardest things about being a friend and how to handle them in the best way possible. She tackles topics such as:

Handling conflict

Setting boundaries

Digital Etiquette

What Heart Sisters do and don't do

Seems intense, maybe. But think of all the issues and regrets that have popped up in friendships. Plus, Snapp isn't talking about just any friendship, she's talking about the closest of friends. We all have circles of friends, who vary in closeness. Snapp's book refers to that small, intimate grouping of women who "we need to share in our laughter. Sometimes we need a good cry with a sister by our side. Other times, we need her to carry us because we simply don’t think we can put one foot in front of the other on our own. We need Heart Sisters" (emphasis mine).

This is among the best books on friendship I've read, as the advice is applicable to forming all kinds of friendships. I've always dreamed of having close friends, but comparing real life to the movie versions, doubted it was possible. Heart Sisters not only shows close friendship is possible, but gives the healthy, realistic parameters in which to form them.