When Tim and Marlene went through a rough patch in their marriage they were both worried they might not make it. They had grown apart in some ways, and had different ideas about what came next for them, now that the kids were grown. But they tell the story about how it was their chemistry [read more]
From Friend to Lover—A Great Path to Successful Romance
Rebecca knew when she first met Todd that she was attracted to him, but she tucked that away because he was unavailable. They worked together nights at a high-end restaurant in St. Augustine, FL, and became good friends. They could make each other laugh, and the banter helped slow nights go faster. They had long [read more]
Permission to Feel and a Chance to Heal: 5 Tips for Healing After a Breakup
Do you know… Someone like Norman? Within two weeks of his live-in girlfriend’s leaving him, he was making a profile on eHarmony. He said he wanted to “move on” and prove to himself (and his ex) that he’d be okay. He was not okay. At least not yet. Someone like Janelle? When her relationship ended [read more]
Finding Balance in an Introvert-Extrovert Relationship
Jerry—classic introvert. Very tuned in to the internal world of emotions and ideas. Refuels via alone time, whenever he’s exhausted or drained. Able to tune out the world when he’s focused. More at home in small, intimate groups than big blow-out parties. Life is going fine for Jerry, an orthopedic surgeon with a penchant for [read more]
Question: Can you advise me how to proceed on a third date with a girl that makes me butterfly nervous?
Dear Betty, I am at the very beginning of a new relationship and need advice. Here are the details:I’m 48 and she is 47. We both have kids – I have a son in college and she has two teenage sons. We used to work together and have known each other for five years. We [read more]
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover—Some Better than Others
You are probably familiar with the iconic song by Paul Simon, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover. As great as that song is…slipping out the back, Jack, is not one of the better ways to end a relationship. When the blinding light of knowledge hit Charlessa one morning, she knew it was time to end [read more]
Being Single—Own It/Love It
Single? You are most definitely not alone. Singletons now outnumber married people in all age brackets. Admittedly, the stats don’t take into account unmarried partnerships, but the fact remains—people no longer live in panic or feel like failures if they are thirty and unmarried. Or forty. Or fifty. Or sixty. Etc. You get the idea. [read more]
Question: Should I try to get my girlfriend back?
Dear Betty, My girlfriend Nelly broke up with me last week. She said it was because she knew that our relationship had an expiration date—we are both going to be going off to grad school in the next 18 months and had already talked about how we probably wouldn’t do long distance. I was still [read more]