Physician Family guest blog: Does Match Day dictate your destiny? A surgeon’s wife weighs in3/8/2017 This week I had the honor of writing a guest blog for Physician Family, an organization dedicated to supporting people who share their lives with a physician.
Check out my blog: Does Match Day dictate your destiny? A surgeon’s wife weighs in You may also like these blogs by Megan Sharma: Book preview-When Medicine Meets Holy Matrimony: A Surgeon's Wife Tells It Like It Is Book preview for When Medicine Meets Holy Matrimony: A word to mothers who aspire to have a surgeon-in-law Book preview for When Medicine Meets Holy Matrimony: No, I don’t want no scrubs Book preview for When Medicine Meets Holy Matrimony: For the love of Danskos Book preview for When Medicine Meets Holy Matrimony: The other shoe Date night: 60 fun and unique date ideas for the young at heart Parenting: A no-fuss guide to your toddler’s birthday party for Pinterest-fatigued parents Parenting: You know you’re a mom (of young children) when…
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This morning was a real doozy. The kind of morning during which a headache descended on me before I could even change out of my pajamas. We have been traveling quite a bit in recent weeks with our two-year-old daughter, J. When we travel, J. tends to become overly attached to us, and it generally takes a few days back in the home routine to recover. J. woke before 6:00 am in our bed and began wailing for her daddy (my husband, Arun), who was in the shower. She then edged herself off the bed toward the bathroom, banging on the door to get his attention. Despite my pleas for her to return to bed to snuggle with me, she ignored me, continued crying, and laid herself down on the floor outside the bathroom. A few minutes after the shower turned off, the door opened, and Arun invited J. in to ‘help’ him get dressed. This was all fine and dandy until Arun had to leave the house to head to work. She was absolutely inconsolable. Literally screaming at the top of her lungs, tears streaming down her innocent little face. Nothing I said provided any comfort. She wouldn’t allow me to hold her. There was nothing I could do but wait out the protest. This meltdown went on for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, she agreed to come back to bed with me and look at pictures on my phone. Her smile emerged behind her paci. She seemed exhausted. The crying started up again when I put my phone away. Somehow, I was able to convince her to get dressed and got her off to school, thinking, “dear lord, I need a coffee!”. A coffee and a drink later. What can we learn from this foray into toddler dramatics? 1. Stubbornness (sometimes) pays off. If you set your mind to something and don’t take no for an answer, you will sometimes win. J.’s stubborn streak won her some extra face time with daddy this morning. But, ultimately, she lost the battle to get him to stay home from work. 2. Logic doesn’t always prevail. There are certain situations in which logic will never overcome. For example, when dealing with a distraught two-year-old. Recognize this scenario and take another tact. 3. Accept the things you cannot change. We would all do well to remember the Serenity Prayer (by Reinhold Neibuhr): God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. 4. The sun will come out tomorrow. There is always the hope of a better tomorrow, even through the difficulties of the present. 5. Never underestimate the power of one’s voice. Toddlers sometimes use it to exasperate their parents into submission. But we adults can use our voices to do great things. Onward, my friends! Enjoy the rest of your week.
You may also like these blogs by Megan Sharma: You know you’re a mom (of young children) when… A no-fuss guide to your toddler’s birthday party for Pinterest-fatigued parents Baby/toddler travel guide series: the essentials! Baby/toddler travel guide series: what to pack Baby/toddler travel guide series: going international Swim diapers are a LIE A brand new day What is a parent? The dawn of a new era: B.B. and A.B. New Mommyhood Initiation There is something about attending a conference on your own time and your own dime. You’re far more, shall we say, invested. It’s different when your company sends you to a conference that you may or may not be enthused about. You’re less inclined to squeeze every last ounce of usefulness out of the experience, and more inclined to check your emails instead of listening to speakers. I just returned from the 2017 San Francisco Writers Conference. As a former corporate marketing and communications manager, I have attended several communications and PR conferences over the years, but this was my first conference for writers. And it completely blew me away. That’s putting it lightly. I finished writing my nonfiction book, “Memoirs of a Surgeon's Wife”, in October 2016, with the goal to be ready for SFWC17 in February. Since my book began as a passion project while I worked full-time, there was no shortage of work to be done. I wrote the book and then tackled the nonfiction book proposal. I began blogging consistently every week. I created a Facebook author page and started building my author platform (all the ways you can discover me online). I began sending a weekly newsletter to email subscribers. I researched the agents and editors attending the conference and prioritized who I most wanted to connect with. I created an oral book pitch and practiced it ad nauseam. You get the idea. The conference acted as a deadline that kept me working toward specific, time-sensitive goals. Anyway, you came here looking for a checklist for your next writers conference: how to make the most of every minute and every penny. So, here we go. How to Make the Most of Your Writers Conference 1. Prepare. Prepare at least as much as you would for a job interview, if your goal is to be published. Each interaction you have with an agent, speaker, coach, or editor is your window of opportunity to make a positive impression. Start by researching who is attending the conference and create a list of people you would like to speak with and/or pitch your book to. Put them in a spreadsheet and be sure to copy and paste their photo into it so that when you see them grabbing their morning coffee at the event, you will recognize them and can say hello. Prepare to the point that you feel comfortable casually discussing your book with strangers. 2. Go with an open mind. I went into this conference with the idea that I would pursue traditional publication (sign an agent who would then sell my book to a top publishing house). However, I attended a variety of sessions, including a few on self-publishing. Now I feel educated on both the traditional route and the self-publishing route, wherever fate may lead me. It’s always smart to have a Plan A and a Plan B. 3. Get social. There are countless opportunities to network at a writers conference, and I urge you to take advantage of them. At SFWC17, there were daily coffee meet-ups, networking breakfasts, lunches and dinners, a welcome cocktail party, free classes, and plenty of opportunities for interacting with experts. Also, make a concerted effort to put your phone away. If you’re scrolling through your mobile, people will assume you’re busy and won’t talk to you. All you have to do is turn to the person next to you and ask, ‘what do you write?’. This is a fantastic way to meet other writers and authors in an otherwise lonely profession—don’t squander it. 4. Be brave. Public speaking is one of my least favorite things to do. I was traumatized by the time I had to deliver a book report in my 8th grade class and my voice shook like an earthquake the entire time. I’ve since improved, but banishing those butterflies is still quite the challenge for me. Nevertheless, when I saw the nonfiction ‘pitchathon’ on the schedule, I showed up. And when I witnessed a panel of about six agents and experts giving several minutes of personalized feedback to everyone who gave their pitch, I decided that I would be crazy not to do it. So, I did it. I held a microphone and talked about my book in a room full of people. It wasn’t so bad, and the feedback I received was 100% worth it. My other act of bravery at the San Francisco Writers Conference was the agent speed dating session, which put me face-to-face with a room full of agents to give my book pitch in one minute, and have a discussion for the remaining two minutes. Like many other writers, I was petrified going in, but once I began sitting down with agents, I found it easy and conversational. If you have an opportunity to participate in something like this, just do it. You won’t regret it. 5. Adapt on the fly. My final tip is to evolve with the feedback and inspiration you receive. Re-write your pitch if you need to. Change your title (it will probably change later anyway). Attend sessions different than what you had planned. If you see someone on your wish list, strike up a conversation with them, even if it’s not the ‘perfect’ moment. The key is to stay observant, follow your intuition and to strike while the iron is hot. I filled an entire notebook while attending the San Francisco Writers Conference, and would highly recommend it to any writer, whether you’re just starting out or looking to stay on top of the industry’s latest. Wishing you the best of luck with your writing and I hope to see you at a conference soon! You may also like these blogs by Megan Sharma:
10 ways to overcome a creative block and find inspiration The write stuff: An author’s favorite books and authors Share the love: Free professional editing services for 5 MeganSharma.com blog readers Check out my new Facebook author page Cutting down on word fat and other newsletter tips Writing 'til it hurts In 30 seconds, this message will self-destruct How to move your audience from callous to captivated Lights, Camera, Action! Celebrating the Spotlight  I designed this graphic today as a mock-up book cover and back page combination. I get so excited looking at it! It's starting to feel very real!
I'll be taking this little number with me to the San Francisco Writers Conference in February, where I'll be learning more of my illustrious craft and all about the publishing industry, meeting with professionals, and pitching my book to literary agents. Wish me luck, friends! You may also like these blogs by Megan Sharma: Physician Family guest blog: Does Match Day dictate your destiny? A surgeon’s wife weighs in Book preview for When Medicine Meets Holy Matrimony: A word to mothers who aspire to have a surgeon-in-law Book preview for When Medicine Meets Holy Matrimony: No, I don’t want no scrubs Book preview for When Medicine Meets Holy Matrimony: For the love of Danskos Book preview for When Medicine Meets Holy Matrimony: The other shoe Date night: 60 fun and unique date ideas for the young at heart Parenting: A no-fuss guide to your toddler’s birthday party for Pinterest-fatigued parents Parenting: You know you’re a mom (of young children) when… Have you ever heard a foodie or chef talk about palate fatigue? It’s when your taste buds get exhausted by monotony and say, “Hey, I quit!”. What it boils down to is too much of a good thing. Too much fat, too much citrus, too much salt, too much sugar, too much bitterness—whatever the case may be. Pinterest can be much the same way. Of course, I’m one of Pinterest’s 100 million active users (85% women), but I alternate between complete infatuation with the big P and total boycott. If I allow myself to get sucked in, I can sit for hours scrolling through gorgeous images of food and fashion on my phone, pinning my life away, achieving absolutely nothing. In recent years, a certain persona has developed: The Pinterest Mom. Pinterest Mom is a superhero. She always brings the yummiest and most unique dishes to the potluck party, with food styling straight out of Martha Stewart Living. She sends her kids to school with the most creative bento box lunches—organic, non-GMO and made fresh daily, naturally. Her home is full of hand-made art and collage walls that could shame the Louvre. Pinterest Mom knows which exercises she can do in her car or while preparing dinner to save time at the gym. She plans her children’s birthday parties with the skill and professionalism of a seasoned wedding coordinator, right down to the striped paper straws that match the banner that match the balloons that match the gift bags that make you feel like a horribly inept parent. Pinterest Mom is incredible, no doubt, but we can’t all be her. Either she has a lot of free time on her hands or she limits herself to three hours of sleep each night, but Pinterest Mom pushes herself to the very limits of perfection. Not all of us want to live that way. Alas, finally—to address the title of the blog. It’s time for a toddler birthday party! Our daughter, J., is turning two this month. TWO! I can’t believe it. Since I’m about 40% Pinterest Mom and 60% Practical Mom, I am not planning a big bash to mark this momentous occasion. Instead, I’m working on some fun ideas for things my husband and I can do with J. to give her a special day. Let’s be real. A one or two-year-old does not give a flying fork full of mashed potatoes about a themed and perfectly executed soiree. They don’t need a bouncy house, a magician, a petting zoo, real Disney princesses and gourmet catering for the entire neighborhood. All they want is an empty box to climb into and some wrapping paper to shred into oblivion. Who are we to deny them these simple joys? Here are some fun ideas for birthday/special occasion activities you can do with your toddler:
Most of all, enjoy the festivities and savor these moments!
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