Divorced and Disillusioned

A letter to the people who have ever wondered how much more they can take. I’ve been there, too. In this deeply personal episode, I speak to those who have struggled to find a reason to stay, reminding them that they don’t have to see a future to give themselves the chance to reach it. Sometimes, we just need someone to sit beside us in the darkness and remind us we’re not alone. If you’re struggling, this one’s for you. Please stay. There’s still a life you haven’t met yet.

What if you spent your entire life believing you had to earn the right to be happy? Raised Pentecostal, I’m unpacking how religious teachings about sacrifice, self-denial, and being a “good” woman shaped the way I saw myself, my relationships, and my worth. At 48, I’m finally learning that I don’t have to make myself smaller to be loved, sacrifice myself to be worthy, or suffer to deserve a good life. I’m allowed to come as I am. And so are you.

You don’t owe everyone an explanation for your life. And not everyone who asks questions genuinely cares about the answers. In this episode, I talk about the difference between people who want the gossip and people who genuinely give a shit, why not everyone who feels safe is, and learning to be more selective about who gets access to the vulnerable parts of us. Because not everyone you ask to hold you can—or will. And sometimes, protecting your peace means learning the difference.

Sometimes there is no choice that doesn’t hurt. In this episode, I talk about what happens when you’re stuck between two painful options, desperately looking for a way where nobody gets hurt and everything works out. But what if the goal isn’t finding the choice that hurts the least—it’s finding the one that doesn’t require you to abandon yourself

What happens when you’re struggling and the people closest to you focus on how your pain has affected them? In this episode, I talk about compassion, capacity, reciprocity, and the difference between being there for someone and keeping score. Sometimes we don’t need someone to fix us—we just need someone to notice.

What happens when you’re the one who finally admits a relationship isn’t working anymore? In this episode, I talk about the chaos that can follow—the hurt children, angry families, divided friendships, and the person who ends up carrying the blame for a relationship that may have been unhappy long before it ended. Leaving isn’t always selfish, and staying isn’t always selfless. Sometimes choosing to live honestly is the hardest—and most courageous—thing you can do.

What if the person I owe the biggest apology to is me? In this episode, I read a letter to myself about the times I ignored my own voice, abandoned my needs, stayed too long, and forgot to give myself the same compassion I give everyone else. Maybe it’s time we stopped waiting for someone else to say sorry and started saying it to ourselves

What happens when the people who hurt you are the people you’re supposed to love unconditionally? In this episode, I talk about setting boundaries, letting go of family members who repeatedly show you who they are, and why sharing DNA doesn’t give anyone a free pass to hurt you. Sometimes protecting your peace means loving someone from a distance—or walking away altogether.

Grief is the price we sometimes pay for loving deeply. Whether it’s a partner, a best friend, a parent, or a beloved pet, losing someone can leave a hole that feels impossible to fill. But does the possibility of heartbreak mean we should stop opening ourselves up to love? In this episode, I talk about why we keep choosing love, even knowing someday we may have to say goodbye, and why the pain of losing someone doesn’t mean loving them was a mistake.

In this deeply personal episode, I share a letter from April, a listener grieving the sudden loss of her husband, John. She writes about losing not only the love of her life, but the future they had planned together—and the terrifying process of figuring out who she is now. A raw, heartbreaking reminder that grief isn’t just mourning the past; sometimes we’re grieving the future we thought we’d have. ❤️