BRISTOL, Va. – Motivational speaker and former “The Facts of Life” TV star Lisa Whelchel told an area audience Friday that faith helped her overcome numerous personal challenges and strengthen relationships with family.
“When we realize we can’t do it all on our own, that’s when God helps us do things through Him,” Whelchel said during a “Celebrate Your Family” conference at the Holiday Inn.
“I asked Him for help, and He began to help me,” Whelchel said. “God has worked with me from the inside out.”
Whelchel was the keynote speaker for the conference – a day-long round of family-oriented workshops, seminars and exhibit presentations sponsored by the Bristol Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s “Find-A-Way” program. Organizers said the conference was aimed at helping area families become stronger, by providing experts and advice on topics ranging from positive parenting and effective meal preparation to household budgets and substance-abuse awareness.
“The family is the core of who you are,” Lynn Pannell, the housing authority’s family self-sufficiency coordinator, told the estimated 150 attendees. “And this is all about strengthening our families.”
Welchel told the crowd about facing numerous personal and professional struggles since leaving her Texas home for California as a 12-year-old actress – a move that later saw her gain teen stardom as Blair in “The Facts of Life,” a popular NBC sitcom that aired from 1979 to 1988.
In addition to frequently struggling with her weight while appearing on the show, Whelchel said she put up emotional walls to help her survive life in Hollywood – an approach that later affected her ability to share her feelings with others, including her three children.
“When most girls are learning about friendships, in junior high and high school, I was learning [script] lines about friendship,” Whelchel said.
But the former actress said her growing relationship with God had helped her draw closer to her children and become a better mother – and also led her to seek therapy and begin opening up to others.
“For us to be good for our families, we first need to be good to ourselves,” Whelchel said. “Nobody is perfect. We all need grace.”
Whelchel peppered her lengthy talk with numerous jokes and witty jabs at her own expense. Poking fun at her love of food, Whelchel drew laughter when she quipped, “If carbohydrates are that evil, then Jesus wouldn’t have referred to himself as being ‘the bread of life.’ ”
rbrown@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2512
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