Hi, I’m Maureen and I’m glad you’re here. This is a place to see my blogs, #cleanbeauty news, and lines of LIT. Feel free to say hello. All respectful comments are welcome.
Don’t Beat Up Your Friends
You may have noticed there is a lot of intensity, even aggression, on social media lately. Between the pandemic and the urgent demand for racial justice that has erupted since the murder of George Floyd, the ground is shifting beneath …
White Privileged Like Me
It took the murder of George Floyd to wake me up. I’ve been called a “bleeding heart liberal” throughout my life. I debated for gun control in elementary school, I make donations to help animals, I canvass for Democrats, I …
Blood and Mother’s Milk: Toni Morrison’s ‘Beloved’ as Sweet Song of Sorrowful Loss
In honor of Toni Morrison’s passing, I am reposting an essay I wrote for a class about her Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Beloved. I’ll never be the same after reading it. My intention here was to connect themes of attachment …
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Don’t Give Up Hope: Using Acceptance & Enthusiasm to Heal Our Troubled World
I’m sure people from every generation have felt this way, but I’m worried. From my perspective, the state of the world is troubled. It feels worse to me than any other point I can remember. Even setting aside the menace …
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The REASON WHY ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ Gets It Right On Suicide Prevention (and ’13 Reasons Why’ Is Harmfully Misguided)
Rebecca Bunch, the endearingly narcissistic protagonist of the CW comedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, is a singing/dancing, self-sabotaging feminist hero. But did you know that in addition to provoking laughter, entertainment and intellectual stimulation, the writers of this show are also providing …
Dear Lin…
Dear Lin, You’ll never see this, but I just have to write it. Stunned by your virtuosity and humanity, Alexander Hamilton’s genius, the music, the lyrics, the actors’ brilliance, the game-changing style and casting, the zeal with which my fellow …
Helping Children Thrive: How I Spoke Up for One Little Girl
The day I first met Rikki in the parking lot of a Motel 6, she handily captured my heart. I had actually started to care about her even before that first meeting. As a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer …
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Commitment Issues: Why Some People Have Them and Others Don’t
Adam is smart, talented and attractive. He’s successful in business and has an exciting lifestyle. He’s a winner, everyone agrees…except his ex-girlfriends. Any one of them can tell a story about Adam that includes disappointment or betrayal. Adam is not …
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Compulsive Liars: The Truth About Lying
“You’re a despicable liar!” These words, shouted by my 11-year-old cousin, John, were etched into my mind some forty years ago. Not because they stung, but because I was so struck by John’s impressive use of the word “despicable,” and …
