Loving that Midlife

What happens when you decide to learn something new in midlife—and suddenly find yourself feeling like you should already know how to do it?

That’s the topic Lori Buck covers this week on Loving That Midlife, because it's exactly where she's found herself recently while starting a new music theory class. Although she's excited to learn, she's also had some moments of frustration, self-doubt, and more than a little resistance to being a beginner. She's caught herself thinking, I should know this already.”

But maybe the better question isn’t, “Why don’t I already know this?”

Maybe it’s, “What am I willing to feel in order to get what I want?”

In this episode of Loving That Midlife, we’re talking about what we can gain when we’re willing to be beginners again. Because learning something new can require us to tolerate frustration, confusion, awkwardness, vulnerability, and even the feeling that we’re not very good at something—at least not yet.

And discomfort doesn’t necessarily mean something has gone wrong. Sometimes discomfort is simply part of learning.

We’ll talk about why being a beginner can actually build confidence, expand our possibilities, and make us more empathetic toward people who are struggling to learn something we already know how to do. We’ll also talk about the expectations we carry in midlife and how the thought “I should have learned this already” can keep us from learning it now.

Because there are things you may want in this season of your life that require you to be willing to feel uncomfortable first.

So what are you curious about? What would you try if you gave yourself permission to be a beginner? And what might be waiting for you on the other side of the discomfort?

It’s never too late to learn something new.

If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend!

And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.  

You can also follow me on my socials:

Instagram: @loribuckcoaching

Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching

Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com 

Email: [email protected]

You pictured college drop-off a certain way. Maybe there would be tears, hugs, a meaningful goodbye, and a Hallmark-worthy moment with your child.

But what if reality looks completely different?

What if your child is anxious, distracted, excited to leave, or seems ready for you to go? What if the goodbye you've imagined for months lasts five minutes in a parking lot?

In this episode of Loving That Midlife, we're talking about what to do when college drop-off doesn't meet your expectations—and how to handle your sadness and disappointment without making your child responsible for your emotions.

I'll share a story about a mom who was so disappointed by her son's goodbye that she told him she was disappointed in him. It's a powerful example of what can happen when an unmet expectation becomes a judgment of our child's character.

We'll talk about the difference between unvoiced expectations and unrealistic expectations, why your child's attitude is on them but your response is on you, and how to feel your emotions without asking your child to make you feel better.

We'll also touch on what comes next when the house feels a little emptier—and the surprising realization that your child may not need you less. They may just need you differently.

If you're navigating college drop-off, launching a child into adulthood, or struggling with the emotions that come when reality doesn't match what you hoped for, this episode is for you.

If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend!

And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.  

You can also follow me on my socials:

Instagram: @loribuckcoaching

Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching

Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com 

Email: [email protected]

What happens when your teenager is getting ready to leave for college—and suddenly everything feels a little… weird?

They’re excited to leave, but they’re also irritated, distant, argumentative, or picking fights with their siblings. You’re trying to soak up these “last few weeks” together, while also wondering why everyone seems to be getting on everyone else’s nerves.

If you’ve experienced this, you may be familiar with soiling the nest—that strange season when a teenager seems to push you away just as they’re preparing to leave home.

This year we’re looking at what happens when the whole family is navigating the transition. What about the siblings who are getting the emotional fallout? How do you hold boundaries while still giving your teenager grace? And how do you stop putting pressure on yourself to make these final weeks together perfectly memorable?

We’ll talk about understanding your teen without excusing disrespect, giving them space without withdrawing emotionally, and keeping your focus on the long-term relationship you want with your adult child.

And in this week’s Midlife Moment, I’m taking you along on my recent trip to England with my youngest daughter after her study abroad in Italy. Ten days, three cities, a LOT of walking, aching feet, British museums, trains, getting lost, and a surprising lesson in letting go of control—and embracing my role as a very happy passenger princess.

Because whether your child is leaving for college or you’re simply navigating one of the many transitions of midlife, there’s something important to remember:

The good doesn’t have to cancel out the hard. And the hard doesn’t mean something has gone wrong.

Welcome to the 50/50 life. 

If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend!

And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.  

You can also follow me on my socials:

Instagram: @loribuckcoaching

Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching

Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com 

Email: [email protected]

Last week, we talked about one of the biggest realizations of midlife: our days are numbered.

So now what?

Do we panic? Reinvent ourselves? Start checking off a bucket list?

In this Season 1 finale of Loving That Midlife, Lori explores a quieter—and ultimately more meaningful—response. Instead of asking, "What do I have to get done today?" what if midlife invites us to ask, "What am I faithfully building with the life I've been given?"

Through personal stories, timeless wisdom, and practical coaching, Lori shares why so many women spend years responding to everyone else's needs—and how midlife offers a beautiful opportunity to become intentional again.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why realizing your days are numbered can become a gift instead of a fear
• The difference between reacting to life and intentionally creating it
• How your childhood dreams may have been fulfilled in ways you never expected
• What cathedral builders can teach us about living a meaningful life
• Why faithful stewardship is more freeing than chasing purpose
• How ordinary, everyday choices become the foundation of a life well lived

You'll also hear encouragement from Micah 6:8, 1 Peter 4:10, and the beautiful image of planting an apple tree—even if you may never sit in its shade.

If you've been wondering what's next in this season of life, this episode is an invitation to stop living by default and begin living with greater intention, one faithful day at a time.

Because a meaningful life isn't something you find.

It's something you faithfully build.

This episode also marks the Season 1 finale of Loving That Midlife. Lori will be back in August with Season 2 and more conversations to help you navigate midlife with wisdom, hope, and purpose.

If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend!

And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.  

You can also follow me on my socials:

Instagram: @loribuckcoaching

Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching

Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com 

Email: [email protected]

Have you ever caught yourself doing the math?

Someone casually says, "Thirty years from now," and before you even realize it, your mind is calculating how old you'll be.

If so, you're not alone.

In this episode of Loving That Midlife, Lori explores a midlife realization that almost no one talks about: the moment when aging stops being an idea and starts feeling personal.

This isn't an episode about fearing death or dreading getting older. It's about the surprising shift that happens in midlife when we become more aware that our days are finite—and how that awareness can actually lead us to live with greater gratitude, wisdom, and intention.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why this realization often seems to arrive "all at once"
• The difference between knowing you're aging and truly feeling it
• Why this experience isn't vanity—it's part of being human
• What the ancient practice of memento mori can teach us about living well
• How Psalm 90's invitation to "number our days" changes the way we experience today
• The hope Christians have because Jesus has defeated sin, death, and the devil

If you've ever looked in the mirror and wondered where the years went, or found yourself unexpectedly grieving the loss of your youth, this conversation will remind you that you're not alone—and that perhaps this season isn't about fearing the future, but waking up to the gift of the present.

Because maybe the goal isn't to stop noticing that our days are numbered.

Maybe the goal is to let that awareness teach us just how precious today really is.

If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend!

And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.  

You can also follow me on my socials:

Instagram: @loribuckcoaching

Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching

Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com 

Email: [email protected]

Have you ever looked at your marriage and wondered, "How did we get here?"

Maybe nothing is terribly wrong, but something feels different. The kids have grown up, the house is quieter, and now you have the space to notice changes in your relationship that were easy to overlook during the busy years of raising a family.

In this episode, we're talking about why long marriages often feel different in midlife—and why that doesn't necessarily mean something is broken.

We'll explore:

• Why resentment often builds slowly over years of sacrifice
• How the stories we tell ourselves shape the way we experience our marriages
• The hidden cost of carrying everyone else's emotions while hiding our own
• Why emotional adulthood invites us to move from assumption to curiosity
• How both you and your spouse are changing in midlife—and why that's an opportunity instead of a problem

If you've been feeling disconnected, frustrated, or simply wondering why your marriage feels different than it used to, this episode will encourage you to stop asking, "What's wrong with us?" and start asking a more hopeful question.

Because sometimes the greatest gift you can give your marriage isn't fixing it.

It's allowing yourself to be truly known.

If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend who might need the reminder that changing doesn't mean failing—it may simply mean you're entering a new season together.

If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend!

And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.  

You can also follow me on my socials:

Instagram: @loribuckcoaching

Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching

Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com 

Email: [email protected]

For years, many women have been asking the same questions: 

What needs to be done next?
Who needs me?
What's the priority? 

Then midlife arrives, and suddenly a new question appears: 

What do I want? 

And surprisingly, many of us don't know how to answer it. 

In this episode, Lori explores why so many midlife women struggle to identify their own desires, preferences, and dreams after years of focusing on responsibilities, caregiving, and taking care of everyone else. 

You'll learn: 

•  Why decision fatigue is real in midlife 
•  How years of responsibility can disconnect us from our own preferences 
•  Why "I don't know" may not be the whole story 
•  A powerful coaching question that can help you uncover what you really want 
•  Practical ways to reconnect with curiosity, interests, and possibility 
•  Why figuring out what you want doesn't require a midlife crisis 

If you've ever felt stuck, uncertain, or disconnected from your own desires, this episode will help you understand why—and show you how to start listening to yourself again.
 
Because maybe the question isn't, "What's wrong with me?"
 
Maybe the question is, "What would I say if I did know?"
 

If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend!

And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.  

You can also follow me on my socials:

Instagram: @loribuckcoaching

Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching

Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com 

Email: [email protected]

Why do so many women feel lonely in midlife—even when they're surrounded by people?

In this episode of Loving That Midlife, Lori explores the surprising reasons loneliness often shows up during the empty nest and midlife years. Sometimes the problem isn't a lack of people. Sometimes it's the loss of the roles, routines, and connections that once filled our days.

You'll learn:

•  Why friendship feels different in midlife 
•  How major life transitions can create unexpected loneliness 
•  The thought patterns that can make loneliness worse 
•  Why being needed is not the same as being known 
•  Three practical ways to create more connection in this season of life 

If you've ever looked around at a full life and still felt disconnected, this episode will help you understand what's really happening—and what you can do next.

As always, Lori combines practical coaching tools, encouragement, and a little midlife humor to help you navigate this season with more confidence and intention.

If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend!

And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.  

You can also follow me on my socials:

Instagram: @loribuckcoaching

Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching

Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com 

Email: [email protected]

One year. Fifty-five episodes. Countless conversations with women navigating midlife. 

When I started Loving That Midlife, I hoped to encourage women through the challenges of this season. What I didn't expect was how much I would learn from all of you. 

In this special anniversary episode, I'm sharing the biggest patterns I've noticed after a year of podcasting, coaching, and talking with midlife women. From emotional overload and identity shifts to grief, people-pleasing, and self-criticism, we'll explore what women are really struggling with—and why I have more hope than ever. 

If you've ever wondered whether you're doing midlife "right," this episode is a reminder that you're probably doing better than you think. 

In this episode, you'll learn: 

•  Why so many midlife women feel emotionally exhausted 
•  The difference between failing and grieving 
•  How midlife exposes patterns that have been there all along 
•  Why women are often their own harshest critics 
•  What gives me hope after a year of conversations with women just like you 

Plus, I'll share a recent anniversary trip to Alaska that reminded me of one of the most important lessons of midlife: life is rarely all good or all bad—it's usually both.
 
Whether you've been listening since Episode 1 or you're brand new to the podcast, thank you for being part of this community. Here's to another year of learning to love the life we're living right now.

If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend!

And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.  

You can also follow me on my socials:

Instagram: @loribuckcoaching

Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching

Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com 

Email: [email protected]

Family vacations can create beautiful memories… and also reveal every unresolved stress response you have.

In this relatable summer episode, Lori Buck shares the realities of vacation prep in midlife: the packing, planning, overstimulation, hormonal stress, travel anxiety, emotional labor, and pressure women often carry while trying to make sure everyone else has a good time.

This episode will help you:

•  stop trying to manage everyone’s emotions, 
•  lower unrealistic expectations, 
•  enjoy your family without over-functioning, 
•  and remember that you deserve to enjoy the vacation too. 

If you’re navigating midlife, perimenopause, parenting adult kids, or simply trying to survive summer travel season with your sanity intact, this conversation will make you feel seen.

If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend!

And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.  

You can also follow me on my socials:

Instagram: @loribuckcoaching

Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching

Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com 

Email: [email protected]