Author: Sharon Holbrook

Visit me at sharonholbrook.com.
Newsletter

The Latest: Newsletter Launch

Sharon Holbrook

[Following is a sample of my newsletter, which I send out about twice a month. I’d love for you to join me — to receive these updates, sign up here. See you there!]

Hey there,

I’m so glad to connect with you here.

A little update: The pandemic has upended everything for all of us, of course, and that’s true of my work, too. I continue to edit at Your Teen (and even do kinda scary things like videos, which I never I thought I’d do!), but I’ve also been gratified to dig back more into my writing life. I’m developing a few things – new articles, hopefully, as well as a nonfiction book proposal. Eek! More to come on that as I dig further in.

For now, I’m rediscovering the joy of sinking into the flow of research and writing. Yes, there’s a lot to worry about right now. Are my kids okay? Should I have kept them virtual or sent them back to school? When will I see my family again?

But work right now? Work makes me happy, and that’s no small thing these days. What’s making you happy? I’d love to hear.

The Latest: Virtual Travel

One year ago, my family and I were about to leave for Italy to celebrate Scott’s and my 20th anniversary. How things change. The airfare was dirt cheap because (1) the weather is iffy in Italy in November (in fact, Venice was inundated with catastrophic flooding just two weeks before we arrived) and(2) because we traveled over Thanksgiving week, a time when few Americans want to be anywhere other than gathering with family in the U.S.
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This year, we get neither the gatherings nor the travel (though we still have the iffy weather, ha). In place of gatherings (please don’t gather!), we have making-the-best-of-it family Zooms. In place of travel, here are some options for a little virtual trip:

  • ​Cheap Nordic Houses. The houses are cheap, and the daydreams are free. Somehow it’s soothing to browse these charming Scandinavian homes. How is every single one so picturesque?
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  • ​Window Swap. Flip through 10-minute videos taken from the windows of homes around the world – everything from Asian high-rise views to quiet Scottish backyards. My kids want to upload one from our house. Let me know if you do!
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  • TV and Movies. I confess, I love me some subtitles – truth be told, even when the show is in English.
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    • Scott and I are currently obsessed with the Deutschland TV series on Hulu. “Deutschland 83,” the first season, is smart spy-thriller historical fiction set in East and West Germany in 1983. We’re now on the second season, “Deutschland 86,” which also travels to Africa and might be even better.
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    • For the whole family, check out “Queen of Katwe” on Disney+. It’s an excellent movie about a Ugandan girl who discovers a talent for chess. Nuanced, heartfelt, and respectful of Ugandan culture, it avoids oversimplified tropes about escaping from poverty.
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    • Don’t forget – “The Crown” is back, hooray!

​The Latest: Nature

I’ve lived near this lake for 8 years and always liked it, but it’s only in 2020 that I’ve truly fallen in love with it. Watching the wildlife, foliage, and water change over the seasons is a life-giving balm in an otherwise soul-sucking year. Even in November, isn’t it gorgeous?

What’s giving you life these days? I’d love to hear from you. And please feel free to forward this newsletter to a friend. If they’d like to subscribe, they can hop over to sharonholbrook.com/newsletter/.

Warmly,

Sharon

Thoughts

Updates & News

Sharon Holbrook

Hi all! I’m writing with a small housekeeping note today. I’ve made some long-overdue updates to my website, and I’ve added a new newsletter sign-up. I’ve been meaning to add this feature forever, it seems. It gives us a more direct connection to each other; you can just hit reply to my emails and reach me whenever you like. I’m also hoping to have some exciting news to share soon!

If you’re an email subscriber to these posts (that is, you got this post in your email), then I’ve automatically added you to my newsletter list. (You can always unsubscribe, of course!) If you’re a WordPress subscriber only (that is, you’re not reading this in your email), then I invite you to add your email address here.

I’m so grateful for your ongoing support and connection, and I hope you’re holding up OK in these stressful days. Here in Ohio, it’s gray, damp, and very much the end of October. The leaves are as lovely as ever, and my daily walks in nature are giving me both peace and energy. We’re anticipating a COVID-strange Halloween tomorrow, brightened by my wonderful neighbors who have organized a dog costume parade. So fun!

Happy Halloween!

Warmly,
Sharon

Sharon's Published Work, Your Teen Magazine

2020 Flu Shots: Our Interview with CDC Director Robert Redfield

Sharon Holbrook

Yesterday, my youngest and I got our flu shots. It’s our yearly routine to do this at Target, because Target gives each of us a $5 gift certificate, and some free money to spend immediately takes the sting out of a shot for most kids. (My elder two were a little put out that they got theirs at their well checks and missed the annual shot-and-spend tradition).

The good news is that the pharmacist said that far more people are coming in for their flu shots this year. Actually, that’s great news–as you’ll see when you read what Dr. Redfield told me during our recent interview. Even young people need flu shots, as Dr. Redfield too well knows from his family’s own influenza tragedy.

2020 Flu Shots: Our Interview with CDC Director Robert Redfield

Published in Your Teen magazine, September/October 2020

Sharon's Published Work, Your Teen Magazine

I Have No Idea What’s Happening: 4 Ways I’m Parenting in Uncertainty

Sharon Holbrook

Maybe it should be, but this is not an article about school. I definitely have no idea what to do about that. It’s about parenting when you can’t come up with the kind of knowledge and certainty that is, well, so quintessentially parental. And yet, we parent anyway, don’t we?

I Have No Idea What’s Happening: 4 Ways I’m Parenting in Uncertainty

Published in Your Teen, July 2020

Sharon's Published Work, Your Teen Magazine

4 Lessons I Hope My Teens Learn from a Coronavirus Quarantine

Sharon Holbrook

This is wild. But it’s not all bad.

4 Lessons I Hope My Teens Learn from a Coronavirus Quarantine

Published in Your Teen, March 2020

Real Simple, Sharon's Published Work

Intuitive Eating Is a Happier and Healthier Way to Eat—Here’s How to Begin

Sharon Holbrook

intuitive-eating-0120hea

I’m so happy to share my latest, a feature article about intuitive eating for the January 2020 issue of Real Simple. My interest in intuitive eating began with both skepticism and curiosity (a personal story I may write about in the future) and transitioned into a reported article that took (off and on) most of 2019 to write and rewrite. It’s a complex topic that was hard to distill into one article, but I’m proud of how it turned out. Hope you enjoy it!

Intuitive Eating Is a Happier and Healthier Way to Eat—Here’s How to Begin

Published in Real Simple magazine, January 2020 issue

Thoughts

Medium: 18 Things Your Editor Wants You to Know

Sharon Holbrook

As a new writer, I made a lot of mistakes, and I was so grateful to anyone who shared their bits of wisdom and experience with me. Now, as an editor, I jot down my own scraps of advice, too. For over a year, I kept a Word document on my computer and would pop over to make a note whenever I had something to say. Here’s what I collected.

18 Things Your Editor Wants You to Know

Sharon's Published Work, Washington Post

Washington Post: 10 Moms Define Motherhood

Sharon Holbrook

I’m thrilled to be selected as one of the 10 moms gamely attempting to define motherhood in the Washington Post today:

“She is a mother. She is vulnerable (just hurt her child, and you’ll see) and she is strong (just hurt her child, and you’ll see). She has been elevated (she is Mom) and she has been demeaned (she is just a mom). She is full (loving a child so completely will do that to you) and she is empty (loving a child so completely will do that to you). Who says she can’t have it all? She has everything.”

Defining Motherhood

Published in the Washington Post, May 9, 2019

Sharon's Published Work, Your Teen Magazine

Your Teen: Life Skills for Teenagers

Sharon Holbrook

I’m a huge believer in raising kids to be confident and capable, and that means taking every opportunity to share new skills with them. This one’s a little one – and maybe an old-fashioned one – but I’m not ready to let it go.

Life Skills for Teenagers: How Do I Mail a Letter?

Published in Your Teen, May/June 2019

Sharon's Published Work, Your Teen Magazine

Your Teen: It’s Time to Talk About the Parenting Crisis Behind the College Fraud Scandal

Sharon Holbrook

Under the despicable misdeeds of a few wealthy parents lies a more everyday culture of toxic parenting. My piece for Your Teen:

It’s Time to Talk About the Parenting Crisis Behind the College Fraud Scandal

Published on March 14, 2019