Iris Krasnow speaking to the women in attendance. Photo Contributed
“The Healing Power of Women’s Friendships” — a timely topic for a “Girls Night Out” evening — set the tone and spirit for an evening featuring the wisdom of journalist and New York Times best-selling author Iris Krasnow.
The evening provided more than 80 women with a setting for sharing conversations, renewing friendships and making new ones, and enjoying an evening women-only event. The client-appreciation affair, sponsored by Long and Foster realtor Yasmin Abadian and her team, Amy Michaels and Kelly Standen was held at the TPC Potomac at Avenel Clubhouse on March 19, 2015.
Abadian has been a realtor since 1983. She has resided in the Potomac area since 1966 when she moved to this area with her parents. She attended Carderock Springs Elementary School, Cabin John and Churchill — and then UCLA. She and her husband, James McWhorter, recently purchased The Market at River Falls.
Abadian met Krasnow, who is a Professor of Women’s Studies at American University when she decided to take a class called “Voices of Women” taught by Krasnow. Abadian not only took the class once — she took it three times because she gained so much. She asked Krasnow to speak at this event because she knew women would appreciate her knowledge and perspective on women’s relationships with their mothers, friends, spouses and children.
Krasnow was formerly a national feature writer for United Press International; she specialized in celebrity profiles, including Yoko Ono, Elie Wiesel, Ted Kennedy, Barbara Bush, Norman Mailer, and Queen Noor of Jordan. She has written for many national publications, including Parade, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, AARP The Magazine, and The Huffington Post. She has been a guest on numerous national television and radio programs including Oprah, The Today Show, and All Things Considered, and she has been featured on CNN several times.
IN 1993, KRASNOW GAVE BIRTH to twins, making her the mother of four sons under the age of 3. She decided to leave her daily journalism job and authored her first book, “Surrendering to Motherhood: Losing Your Mind, Finding Your Soul,” which examines the balance between work and motherhood for women. Subsequently, she has written five books which deal with personal relationships: “Surrendering to Yourself,” “Surrendering to Marriage,” “I Am My Mother’s Daughter,” “The Secret Lives of Wives,” and “Sex-After. . . Women Share How Intimacy Changes as Life Changes.”
After telling the audience about her life with five men and two male cats, Krasnow said, “I am so happy to be able to spend an evening with women. The power of female friendships is unifying and brings much joy and happiness. Spending an evening with girlfriends is both fulfilling and meaningful.”
She discussed motherhood and how “No one loves you like your mother. A mother is one of the ‘steady rudders’ in your life — and her voice resonates all the time.” After she once appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show, Krasnow called her mother, a Polish-born Holocaust survivor, to see what she thought of the interview. Her mother’s comment (with a Polish accent) was a familiar one for Krasnow. No comment about the substance of the interview but only, “Couldn’t you just have put some lipstick on?”
Krasnow continued her talk by discussing focus points: “How do we balance work, family and responsibilities — and remain the same? How do we stay blissfully married? (No one is blissfully married!) and the real secret to life — never expect anyone else to make you happy.”
One of the attendees, Margo Devine said, “I thoroughly enjoyed the speaker and the evening and found her to have wonderful insights into our relationships.”
Sydnee Alenier said, “It was really a nice opportunity to spend an evening with women, learning about women’s issues and also about some new books that I plan to read.”