Melanie Dale - Women are Scary: The Totally Awkward Adventure of Finding Mom Friends

So the thing about Melanie Dale is that she is really, genuinely funny. I didnt just smile when I read Women Are Scary: The Totally AwkwardAdventure of Finding Mom Friends I giggled. Chortled. Guffawed, even. But the other thing about Melanie Dale and this is the part that gives her book so much substance is that she is really, genuinely insightful. And while I wish this book had been around about ten years ago when I was in the throes of wondering why it sometimes seemed so difficult to connect with other mamas, Im thrilled that Melanies book is right here, right now. Its a fresh reminder that were not meant to walk through motherhood alone, and it made me more grateful than ever for my mama friends who were strangers to me a decade ago but have long since taken up residence in the deepest part of my heart. Im so thankful for Melanies humor, vulnerability, and honesty; women are going to be so encouraged by her words!

SOPHIE HUDSON, author of A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet and blogger at BooMama.net

Women Are Scary has given me the great gift of knowing I am normal. Or at least semi-normal. Melanie Dale, with her funny, engaging words, perfectly captures the angst and joy and awkward moments that come our way as we try to navigate the world of finding our friends amongst a sea of minivans and soccer games. She will make you laugh out loud as you recognize pieces of yourself and, if youre like me, youll find yourself nodding along until the last page when you close the book and breathe a deep sigh of relief that youre not alone.

MELANIE SHANKLE, New York Times bestselling author of Sparkly Green Earrings

Melanie Dale, you are hilarious! Thank you for writing a book that not only made me laugh, but also inspired and encouraged me in my momlationships! Rock on, sister.

REBECCA ST. JAMES, singer, author, and new mom

No one can make us quite as unsure about ourselves as another woman. And nothing can wound as much as the words that sometimes come from a friend. Thats why you need this book. Because if youve been burned by women and friendship you need the reminder that its worth it. Friendship is like oxygen for the soul and this is the handbook on how to overcome awkward and fall in love with friendship all over again.

LISA-JO BAKER, author of Surprised by Motherhood: EverythingI Never Expected About Being a Mom and community manager for incourage.me

Women are Scary is laugh out loud funny. But its so much more than that. Its an honest exploration of the one thing so many moms fear one another. And its an invitation to know and be known in this thing we call motherhood.

Melanie is the real deal. Her humor, courage, and candor will inspire moms to spur one another on because, as Melanie writes, we arent just moms, we are world changers, and we are better, so much better, when we are with and for each other.

JEANNIE CUNNION, author of Parenting the Wholehearted Child

In Women Are Scary, Melanie dares to put candid words to the thoughts weve all secretly had about the ups and downs of motherhood. With both snort-out-loud humor and refreshing honesty, she encourages us to speak the truth as well to ourselves and to each other as we develop new momlationships.

JAMIE C. MARTIN, blogger at SimpleHomeschool.net and SteadyMom.com and author of Mindset for Moms

Are you lonely too? With disarming honesty and humor, Melanie walks you through specific steps to find that mommy girlfriend you desperately need. Buy this book for every young mom you know. You will be giving her more than a book you are giving her a guide to rich friendships.

SUSAN ALEXANDER YATES, speaker and bestselling author of many books including And Then I Had Kids, Encouragementfor Mothers of Young Children

I found a kindred spirit in the pages of Melanie Dales Women are Scary. Shes clever and funny and makes me feel more normal in all of the things that Im certain probably make me weird. She reminds us that making new friends can be hard, feel scary, but is also one of the most rewarding steps onto a limb well ever take. I laughed and cried and laughed some more and then felt thankful that God gives us community and friendship to walk along this crazy road we call life.

LOGAN WOLFRAM, CEO Allume Ministries, author of Curious Faith (releasing 2016 with David C. Cook)

ZONDERVAN

Women Are Scary

Copyright 2015 by Melanie Dale

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

ePub Edition February 2015: ISBN 978-0-310-34213-7

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

In order to protect the poor moms who are stuck on fourth base with me, I have changed their names to companions from Doctor Who: Rose, Martha, Donna, Amy, Rory, River, and Clara. I dont want to out them publicly and end up back on first, and my love for them transcends time and regenerations.

Any internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Cover design: James Hall

Interior illustration: Alex Dale and Greg Johnson

Interior design: Kait Lamphere

First printing January 2015

To my fourth-basers. You know who you are. And to Alex, who makes me brave.

CONTENTS

Principal: At no point in your rambling, incoherent response was there anything that could even be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

From Billy Madison

Im going to need a hug before I get started. Im about to tell you about my relationships with women, but Im not completely all that terrific at small talk, so can we skip ahead together and pretend like weve known each other for a while? Come over here and hug it out.

Okay. Thanks for that.

When we finally brought our Elliott home from neonatal intensive care and my husband had the gall to go back to work and leave me alone with our four-pound floppy baby, I felt overwhelmed.

Im not the only one, right?

Young mothers are shriveling up into crusty dried raisins of despair. Every minute feels like forever when your two-year-old wants to put on her own socks and your five-year-old wont get in the bathtub. When youre a mom, you spend hours and hours sitting with other moms while your kids kick a soccer ball, learn how to blow bubbles in the pool, and shake maracas at music class.

You bat eyes at each other and glance away. Its awkward and someone always needs a diaper change and no one ever knows what to say. And most of us are frazzled and lonely, isolated in our minivans, schlepping bags, strollers, and munchkins to and fro across town.