Flirtin After Forty

This week a calendar reminder informed me it’s been 16 years since I got engaged—which is not exactly the kind of notification a divorced woman expects to wake up to. That moment sent me thinking about old engagement rings, what to do with them, and how funny it is that some things from the past just… linger.

I also share a few co-parenting moments from middle school basketball season that reminded me exactly why my ex-husband and I are better off divorced, plus a conversation with my son about navigating uncomfortable situations with kindness.

And because the dating world never disappoints, I end the episode with a couple of truly horrifying dating-profile discoveries—including what may or may not be a murder van.

I really loved him. And I really wanted it to work. But wanting something isn’t the same as it being right.

After a tough fight, a dark weekend, and a long therapy session, I had to listen to the quiet voice I kept trying to override — my gut. In this episode, I talk about ending it (yes, over text), the difference between “nice” and “kind,” and why sometimes choosing your own peace feels selfish… but isn’t.

It’s messy. It’s sad. It’s adult.
And it’s what dating after 40 actually looks like.

In just one week, everything shifted. Season two launched, J-Man listened to the podcast, and somehow we’re cautiously trying again.

This episode is about growth you don’t always see day-to-day — how much you’ve actually evolved, healed, and changed over time. It’s about not losing yourself in relationships, learning to fill your own bucket first, and asking the big question: do we need “our person”… or do we need to be our own?

Plus: a 14-year-old’s take on breakups, a Valentine’s Day flag with teenage faces on it, and a man comparing women to Mercedes. Because dating after 40 is nothing if not entertaining.

Season two starts with me coming back to myself. In this episode, I talk openly about ending my relationship with J-Man — someone I deeply care about — and what it looks like to listen to your gut even when the decision hurts. This isn’t about blame or big drama; it’s about recognizing incompatibility, honoring your needs, and choosing not to ignore that quiet voice inside anymore. I’m sharing what this moment has taught me, how I’m navigating the sadness without spiraling, and why “back to me” feels like the right place to begin again.

This week’s episode is a heavier one.

I talk about why I stepped back last week and how hard it’s been to process what’s happening in our world — especially when it stops feeling political and starts feeling deeply human. From ICE activity near my kids’ school to conversations with friends who “aren’t really paying attention,” I share how exhausting it can be to care when others have the privilege not to.

I also open up about a fight with J-Man that wasn’t really about work — it was about feeling unseen, overwhelmed, and stretched thin while carrying the mental and emotional load of everyday life. When resentment, guilt, and intuition collide, it forces some uncomfortable questions about compatibility, partnership, and listening to that quiet voice in your gut.

This episode is raw, emotional, and honest — about burnout, empathy, relationships, and what it means to keep showing up when you’re tired of fighting the good fight.

This week I’m not in crisis — but everything feels a little… smoky. From cringey dating-text advice I refuse to use, to Etsy hate mail over a $9 card (free shipping included, relax), to tech failures, bank chaos, and the never-ending mental load, it’s been one of those weeks where nothing is on fire — but everything is irritating.

I talk about why asking for help feels so uncomfortable for independent women, how past letdowns train us to just do it all ourselves, and why “start small” might be the only way out of that pattern (even if it’s just asking someone taller to reach the top shelf).

There’s also dating commentary, space in relationships, being weirdly okay with alone time, and a reminder that growth sometimes looks like resting instead of fixing. Honest, funny, a little ranty — and very much what dating and life in your 40s actually look like.

I found a good guy — and realized that wasn’t the ending, it was the beginning.

In this episode, I’m sharing what happens when the honeymoon phase fades and real life steps in: a first big fight, a birthday that didn’t go as planned, and the uncomfortable work of navigating a healthy relationship after past toxicity. From a Costa Rica trip that brought both joy and clarity, to learning how much independence still matters to me, this is an honest look at dating in your mid-40s — the pressure to “make it work,” the flags (not red flags), and why unlearning survival patterns might be the hardest part of love.

Messy, reflective, and very real — because healthy doesn’t mean easy.

I felt called to record one last episode before the year ended — from my bed, late at night, with a lot on my heart. This episode is about choosing my word for 2026 and why “receive” feels both right and wildly uncomfortable.

We talk about letting go of force, stopping the uphill push, and trusting that you don’t have to chase what’s already finding you. I share why receiving isn’t quitting — it’s allowing — plus how music holds memories of people, not just moments, and the playlist I made called Songs That Make Me Think of Others.

This is a quiet reflection on growth, trust, and entering the new year open instead of braced.

If you have a word for the year, I’d love to hear it.