Blog Post - The Graceful Boon

Ginny & Georgia: The Compelling Realities Of Parenthood As Seen Through Georgia And Ellen – And The Agony Of Knowing Your Child Is Suffering Because Of Something That’s Out Of Your Control

Ginny & Georgia is a Netflix original series. To its entirety, the show explores complex parenting dynamics, particularly through the characters of Georgia and her daughter, Ginny. Georgia, despite her loving intentions, often displays manipulative and harmful behaviors, while Ginny struggles with identity, mental health, and navigating her mother’s choices. The show delves into themes of trauma, generational cycles, and the challenges of healthy communication within a family. Georgia often shows her love and devotion to her kids, Ginny and her younger brother, Austin, by manipulative behavior, a lack of stability, and questionable moral choices. She prioritizes her own needs and desires, sometimes at the expense of her children’s well-being, which makes her a divisive character among fans. She’s fiercely protective of her children and will go to great lengths to keep them safe. Here, we break down exactly why Georgia is, in fact, a good mom. We explore the compelling hardships of being a parent through Georgia’s lense, as well as of Ellen, Marcus’ mom. And we explain the importance of being there for your child and supporting them through thick and thin – no matter what age, gender, race, sexuality. Let’s discuss…

Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley – The Hardships (And Joys) Of Raising A Special Needs Child – And What It Takes For A Parent To Successfully Raise One

Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley recently opened up to Kylie Kelce about the hardships she’d faced as a special needs parent. Her son Grayson has autism. She particularly opened up about KultureCity, an organization that outfits sensory rooms that are at NFL stadiums, and how she became involved with it following an overwhelming experience at an airport with Grayson. Since he was first diagnosed at age 2, Farley has become a great advocate and a voice for kids with autism and their amazing parents. In an old Instagram post, Farley wrote, ‘In an Instagram post, Farley wrote of her son, ‘This is a new realm for us. One filled with tons of information and different theory’s of treatments. So grateful Grey chose me to be his mommy and @rogermathewsnj to be his daddy.’ Here, we break down the history of autism to its entirety. We explore the exact hardships parents of special needs kids may face. And we thoroughly explain why raising a special needs child isn’t a burden or a curse, but a gift. Let’s discuss…

Barbara Walters: The Real Meaning Behind The Legacy She Left Behind For Women In The Workforce In The 20th Century – And What That Legacy Says To Working Mothers Of Children With Disabilities And Their Employers Now After Her Death

Barbara Walters was a bada$$ of a woman. She worked like hell, and she opened a lot of doors to women in the workforce. The result – a better work environment for women. But we still, even after she’s passed away, have such a long way to go. In her 1972 bestseller, How to Talk to Practically Anybody about Practically Anything, she wrote, ‘I devoured it from cover to cover, eager to learn the secrets of getting people to open up — especially if you’re “only a girl.”’ She began her career when it was tough to be a woman in the business of television news. She worked VERY hard to get to where she got. Walters paved the way for girls and women everywhere, especially mothers, in the 70’s. She had a vision; a vision. And it was all for her disabled sister, Jackie. Here, we cover exactly how she did it. Let’s discuss…

The Desilu Old Hollywood Effect: Desi Arnaz Was The Man Who Made Television What Know It To Be Today In the 21st Century – And Lucille Ball Was The Woman Who Redefined Femininity And Motherhood In The 1950’s

When talking about Patty Duke and her life, Lucille Ball will always at least be mentioned. Duke was, after all, in a relationship with her son, Desi Jr., and for a very long time, it was believed that he’d fathered her son, Sean Astin. That ended up not being the case, but nevertheless, the Astin and Arnaz have maintained a close bond. Here, we break down Desi Jr.’s parents’ entire marriage and eventual divorce. We explain how Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball changed everything about television and femininity, particularly during their days on I Love Lucy. At the time, and by at the time I mean in the 50’s, when the idea for I Love Lucy was pitched, executives only wanted Ball on board, leaving Arnaz behind; mostly because he was Cuban. They wanted a white man to play the part of her on-screen husband. In turn, Ball said she’d only be a part of the show if Arnaz was hired to play her on-screen husband, Ricky. They agreed And we explore how Lucille Ball failed as a mother in her career accomplishments. In her own words, Lucie Arnaz, her daughter, said, ‘I think because she was a working mom in the 50s, there probably was a lot of guilt involved in not being home with the kids.’ Let’s discuss…

Patty Duke: The Face Of Mental Illness Originated in The 80’s – And The Meaning Behind Sean Astin’s Continued Advocacy Following Her Death

Of his mother’s, Patty Duke, struggle with bipolar disorder, actor Sean Astin said, ‘She realized that her get-out-of-jail-free card, her superpower, was to combine everything she knew about being open and honest. It’s arresting sometimes, but it’s also very compelling. We lived our lives like a hurricane was coming. You could feel the weather change. Instead of feeling like someone who was othered by society, she was lauded because of what she chose to do with it.’ Here, we break down how mental illness was viewed to its entirety, from the very beginning. We explore why Patty Duke revealing her struggle with bipolar in the 1980’s was so groundbreaking and what Astin’s continued work in advocating to bring awareness means to those struggling. And we explain the complexities people with other illnesses and disorders such as cerebral palsy may face at the hands of depression. Let’s discuss…

No Good Nick: Everything That Made Nick A Better Person Than The One She Ever Thought She Could Be – An AU Continuation To Her Story

No Good Nick Was a 2019 Netflix series which starred Sean Astin, Melissa Joan Hart, and Siena Agudong in the title role. It followed Nicole Franzelli, known to others as Nick, a 13-year-old girl whose father, Tony, ran Franzelli’s restaurant, a popular spot in Oregon. After Liz Thompson opened her rival Crescendo Restaurant across the street, the Thompson family used dirty tactics to drive Franzelli’s out of business. Tony borrowed money from the mob in a desperate effort to keep his restaurant afloat and then went to prison for robbing a convenience store to meet his repayments to the mob. Taken into state care, Nick was placed with corrupt foster parents, Sam and Dorothy Harbaugh, who trained her as a con artist. Nick was then placed in the Thompson home under false premises, with the intent of using them to Nick’s advantage in getting revenge for what they did to her father. Here, we break down Nick’s entire journey in the process of her aiming to con the family. We explore why being placed with them became the best thing for her as she became a better version of herself thanks to them. And we bring an AU continuation to her story following the end of season 1. Lets discuss…

Celebrity Recipes We’re Loving (And How to Make Them Healthier!)

I was browsing TikTok/Instragram the other day and noticed so many celebrities sharing their favourite recipes. I was especially intrigued by this as the previous blog entry on this blog had to do with health – both physical and mental. We don’t realize this until we have to, but nutrition has so much to do, far more than we ever imagined, with one’s health.
Have you ever wondered what your favorite celebrities cook at home or what ends up on their perfectly styled plates? If you’ve watched Meghan Markle’s show and seen her flower-topped toasties or heard of Gigi Hadid’s viral spicy vodka pasta, these recipes are more than just click-worthy and they’re totally doable in your kitchen, too.
I invited renowned Women’s Nutritionist, Emma Lisa of Eat Nourish Glow to join me in sharing some of the most popular celebrity recipes making headlines. Emma Lisa breaks down the practical ways to make these celeb recipes healthier without compromising flavour. Whether you’re into clean eating, low-carb swaps, or just looking for inspiration, you’ll find some celebrity-approved deliciousness here.

Alexa & Katie: A Complete Breakdown Of Katie’s Brave Battle With Anxiety – And Why She’s An Inspiration To All Young Kids Watching

One particular Netflix show I absolutely loved was Alexa & Katie, which ran between 2018 and 2020, and starred Paris Berelc and Isabel May in their respective title roles. The show followed two best friends, Alexa and Katie, who navigate life as teenage girls as Alexa goes through a cancer battle and its aftermath. More particularly, the show focused on a teen girl’s cancer diagnosis and its impact on her life and her friendship with Katie, addressing both the physical and emotional challenges. While the show didn’t explicitly delve into deep clinical details of mental health, it did portray the emotional ups and downs, including anxiety, jealousy, and the need for support, that come with a cancer diagnosis and treatment during adolescence. Here, we break down the entire premise of Alexa & Katie, particularly Katie’s anxiety storyline. We explore its significance and why it’s important an inspiration to all young viewers who might be struggling as well. And we explain how her storyline relates to people struggling with a seizure disorder. Let’s discuss…

Hayley Kiyoko: The Lesbian Jesus Disney Never Knew They Needed – And Everything That Makes Her Artistry So Damn Special

Pride month might be over, but that doesn’t mean we need to stop talking about queerness. We’re here to talk about Hayley Kiyoko, a musician and former Disney star. You might recognize her from Disney’s Lemonade Mouth, which was absolutely FANTASTIC. Kiyoko officially came out as gay in 2015 with the release of her song, Girls Like Girls. She also directed the music video for it. And though the song was a smashing hit, Kiyoko was nervous to let the world know of her true identity. She did, and it was a HIT. Ever since then, she’s been dubbed as Lesbian Jesus by her fans around the world. Here, we break down Kiyoko’s entire coming out journey from the very beginning up to now. We explore her hardships of coming out publicly while being employed by Disney. And we explain why she’s the Lesbian Jesus Disney never knew they needed. Let’s discuss…

Ellen DeGeneres: How She Paved The Way For A More Positive Representation Of The LGBTQIA+ Community In Media – And What Oprah And Laura Dern Had To Do With It

Remember when Lindsay Lohan was given a second chance at a redemption arc by none other than Oprah herself? It was the year 2013. Oprah offered Lohan a platform to rebuild her career after rehab. This included an exclusive interview and an eight-part docu-series on Winfrey’s network, OWN,with a reported $2 million compensation package. The show, as well as the authenticity of Oprah’s shown mentorship and public support, was questionable. However, one thing that wasn’t questioned about Oprah was her support for Ellen DeGeneres in her coming out in the 90’s and thereafter. DeGeneres ‘broke the internet’ when she publicly came out in 1997 on her sitcom’s ’The Puppet Episode’. Here, we break down EVERYTHING that had happened leading up to it. We explore how DeGeneres’ courageous decision to come out has paved the way for the positive LGBTQIA+ representation in media we see today. And we explain what Oprah and Laura Dern had to do with it. Let’s discuss…