Catherine opens up about love in its many forms - from the exhausting performance-based love of her past to the transformative power of being loved "just because." She vulnerably shares the profound loss of her partner David during COVID, how grief became a catalyst for change, and her journey to finding love again with someone who teaches her she doesn't need to perform to be worthy.

💬 What You’ll Hear

• Agape Love: Understanding unconditional love and how it was the only love Catherine felt comfortable giving
• Performance-Based Love: Growing up believing she had to earn love through achievements, appearance, and over-giving
• The Comparison Trap: Watching friends in effortless relationships while she obsessed over perceived flaws
• Dating Disasters: From the guy with the clinker in his eyelash to repelling men who actually wanted to love her
• Meeting David: Finding someone who loved her in her "broken divorced self" without requiring performance
• March 23rd, 2020: The devastating day David died suddenly of a heart attack during the first day of COVID lockdown
• Moving Through Grief: Walking to move grief through her body and the mistakes of dating too soon
• Leveraging Loss: How David's death became the catalyst for coming home to herself
• Back to the Apps: Four months later, downloading dating apps and learning about ENM and poly via Google
• Finding Love Again: Meeting her current partner who teaches her "this is not a call to action" - she can simply receive

✨ Takeaway

Love doesn't require performance. You don't have to earn it through achievement, appearance, or over-giving. The exhausting pattern of proving your worth can be broken. Sometimes profound loss becomes the catalyst for discovering you're worthy of love simply for being who you are. Finding home within yourself first allows you to show up authentically in relationships - and that's when real love finds you.

⚖️ Disclaimer

These stories are mine — told through my eyes, my lens, and my lived experience. Each person moves through life in their own way. I own these stories, and I share them to inspire us all to live truthfully, freely, and as our most authentic selves.

🌿 Connect with Catherine

If this episode made you reflect on the ones you love, share it with them to let them know how much they mean to you.

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Theme Song Written and Composed by Trevor Lynch and Michaela Dennis and recorded by Trevor Lynch in Chicago IL
Photo: Baumgardner Studio Yakima, WA
Production: Red Trux Productions Snohomish, WA