What’s it Worth?

Five of my favorite blog posts

Sep 30, 2023

As September comes to an end, so will my free blog posts. I’ll still offer my monthly newsletter to free subscribers, but all other content will be exclusive to my paid subscribers.

I’ve thought a lot about this, and the writers’ strike convinced me that what I do has value. I’ve so appreciated all the messages I’ve received about how a certain piece I’ve written has affected you in some way. Many of the reviews of my book involve readers talking about their own families. I like to think my writing is relatable.

Ever since I started my blog in 2014, I created a source of connection between me and the rest of the world, by sharing my perspective as well as more vulnerable moments.

Cameron Crowe once said “the personal is universal.”

I want to continue to encourage conversations and connection through my weekly posts. I’m open to ideas about what you want to read/talk about. As I start writing my next book, I will have lots of thoughts and opinions about the current state of our criminal justice system!

And so…without further ado…here are five of my favorite posts. Also, a reminder that as a paid subscriber, you’ll always have access to the archives.

Prince Harry, Memoir, and the Dysfunctional Family

Debbie Russell

Jan 10

Prince Harry, Memoir, and the Dysfunctional Family

“And if they didn’t know why I’d left, maybe they just didn’t know me. At all. And maybe they never really did. And to be fair, maybe I didn’t either. The thought made me feel colder and terribly alone, But it also fired me up. I thought: I have to tell them.

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You Must Do the Thing You Think You Cannot Do

Debbie Russell

November 11, 2021

You Must Do the Thing You Think You Cannot Do

Years ago, I clipped this Eleanor Roosevelt quote out of the newspaper and slid it under the glass top of my desk at work. As someone whose job was to convey confidence and compassion, I often found myself in a courtroom acting out a part in a scene. Once safely back in my office, all of my imposter syndrome rose up and threatened to crush me.

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When Does Positivity Become Toxic?

Debbie Russell

April 30, 2022

It was sometime in 2009 or thereabouts when I realized I might not be a very good listener. I was on the phone with my parents and once again felt myself getting sucked into the vortex of my mother’s histrionics around money. She and my dad, like millions of others, suffered significant financial losses when the behemoth financial firm Lehman Brothers de…

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To Bend Without Breaking

Debbie Russell

December 16, 2022

Three more inches of snow. Yesterday it was five. The day before it was also five. It’s been the wet, heavy snow - the kind that feels like concrete. Great for making a snow fort if you’re a kid, but shoveling it can kill you if your heart is bad. It’s also the kind of snow where snowshoes are mandatory for the daily dog romps and property inspections.

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Grateful for Change

Debbie Russell

November 30, 2022

It’s been a bit over four years since my dad died. Because my mother did not want to spend the money on a funeral - “It would only be for your friends,” she said to me – no funeral occurred aside from the pitiful affair in my parents’ living room, attended by my younger brother, our mother, the hospice chaplain and me. If there’s anything to be said in …

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As always, I’m grateful for all of you who have supported me on this writing journey and look forward to continued conversations in this next chapter!