Queen Maureen

A lot of my friends are headed off to college, and about to live away from home for the first time, so I thought I'd make a post for them.  If you are a returning student, you may also find this helpful. So here's my advice for college life: Go to bed at a reasonable hour.  You may not have classes as early as you did in high school, and Mom's not making you go to bed at nine, but maintaining your usual bedtime is still a good idea.  It keeps you healthy, and it helps keep balance and consistency. Get up at the same time every day .  This also is healthy and fosters consistency.  You probably will not have your first class at the same time every day, but morning routines are crucial. Don't get involved in other people's drama.   It's none of your business, and it's not worth your time.  Everyone wants to help in some way, but it's not your job to solve your friends' problems.  They are adults, and they can do that themselves.  You hav...

To all the young ladies out there, here are some practical tips for living out your best life: Don't get into a car with a stranger unless it's your Uber driver. If someone doesn't like you, it's their loss, not yours. Never date a loser out of sympathy. It has been said, "Don't spend more than $10 on mascara", but I say, "Don't spend more than $4.99 on mascara." The first time you wear a new pair of shoes, bring bandaids in your purse. Always carry a pen with you. Know how to use pepper spray.  And that includes reading the owners manual! Call your mom at least once a week! Your dignity is not measured in inches around your waste. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Your family is the group that you'll have contact with the longest.  Don't let any other relationship come between you and your family. Leggings aren't pants. There's no such thing as a perfect person. Don't travel without money. Don't ...

To all the women who have lost motherhood through abortion, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all the ways we have failed you. I'm sorry for all the tears you cry silently, after the rest of the world has gone to sleep. I'm sorry for the invisible pain that you carry everywhere you go. I'm sorry for the pang you feel whenever you're at a child's birthday party. I'm sorry you cannot hear your child's heartbeat. I'm sorry you will never know your baby's gender, hair color, or eye color. I'm sorry you can never see his little feet running, or hear her precious laughter. I'm sorry that you've been robbed of the chance to cradle your child in your arms. I'm sorry there was nobody there for you when you needed help. I'm sorry you went through a traumatic and violating procedure. I'm sorry we have lied that this is empowering. I'm sorry we told you that this was your best choice, and then left you afterwards. I...

To all the children who have been lost to abortion: On behalf of society, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that we shoved your mothers into the clinic instead of counseling them through their crises. I'm sorry that we didn't love them enough to take care of them. I'm sorry that we didn't love you enough to protect you. I'm sorry that we have voted to have their bodies and yours violated. I'm sorry that we broke your mother's heart by stopping yours. I'm sorry that we did not give you a voice when you were voiceless. I'm sorry that we've inflicted the ultimate pain on you both. I'm sorry for leaving your mother alone to face her pain afterwards. I'm sorry for failing to address the before-math and aftermath of abortion. I'm sorry we weren't there for either of you. I'm sorry for not stopping to hear the beating of your tiny heart. I'm sorry for not showing your mom your little footprints. I'm sorry for not gi...

"He danced only four dances, though gentlemen were scarce; and, to my certain knowledge, more than one young lady was sitting down in want of a partner." -Lizzie Bennet ( Pride and Prejudice , page 128) I'm sure all of us ladies have had a Lizzie Bennet moment or two.  Back in her day, everyone agreed that Mr. Darcy was rude.  But nowadays, it has become socially acceptable for guys to just stand against the wall and watch while several girls don't get asked to dance.  How did this happen? There are a few myths that the 21st century has adopted, and I am going to lay them out one by one and destroy them. Myth #1: You have to be Dating a Girl to Ask Her to Dance How do you think you'll ever end up with a girlfriend if you never ask a girl to dance?  This brings me to the next myth. Myth #2: You Can't Dance with a Girl who has a Boyfriend In the words of Donald J. Trump, "Wrong.  Wrong.  Wrong."  You aren't taking her out, you are jus...

Well ladies, it's been a while, but I'm back.  And this time I'm more irritated than ever!  It's homecoming season, and I've been doing some online shopping, and I am getting extremely frustrated with some of the current modeling trends.  Every time a dress is modeled, even just when girls are getting their pictures taken in their lovely dresses before they run off to the dance, there is always a picture that features whatever unique cut-out this dress has.  It's like that's the most important thing about it! To be fair, I do appreciate when the online pictures of the dress are honest, and I know everything about the dress before I buy it.  And in all honesty, I don't claim to be perfect with regards to modesty.  I've definitely had my share of wardrobe malfunctions, and instances where I buy something that looks fine when I try it on, but when I go to sit down, bend over, or kneel in it, it's not so fine. But the way the stores are adve...

What do you think of when you hear the word, "breakup?" Probably something in the realm of ice-cream, Netflix, and crying, followed by a series of ackward and unfriendly encounters between you and your ex.  Is this how it has to be?  No. Despite what you might believe, it isn't like this for everyone.  We all have witnessed, and maybe even experienced a terrible breakup, and it's what we are most aware of.  It's what naturally wins the most attention, because the people who are having the terrible dramatic breakups are the ones making the biggest deal out of them.  What we don't see is the healthy breakups.  What?!  Yes, there are healthy, positive, and sometimes happy endings to relationships. There are endless variations of breakup situations, each with its own details and complications.  I can't go into all of them, but let's at least look at some of the classic scenarios together. Situation A: You were in a bad relationship that you are ...