Been pondering something lately while chatting with women at my favorite corner café in Chorlton. ☕ It’s fascinating how differently we interpret affection based on our upbringing. Last week, I sat with two friends – both bright, accomplished women about […]
Monica Dean - Relationships
When I Fight About Moving, It’s Not Actually About the Location
Yesterday, I watched a couple at the coffee shop having what they thought was a whisper-fight about moving to Portland. He insisted it would solve everything. She clutched her latte like it contained her hometown’s entire social support network. Neither […]
Jas Mendola - Relationships
“Men: Stop Competing, Find Love – (and a Few Other Things You Might Not Be Expecting)”
The fight started over a video game. She watched him play for ten minutes, made one comment about how another guy seemed better at it, and suddenly they were in their worst argument in months. He couldn’t explain why it […]
Jas Mendola - Marriage - Men's Issues
“YOUR WORDS, NOT WARRIORS, WILL WIN (OR LOSE) THE WAR”
The man sits across from me. His shoulders are tight. He talks about video games and wives and a joke that wasn’t funny. “I don’t get it,” he says. “I just said I’d play games with her all night.” His […]
Relationships - Sophia Rivera
I Navigate My Emotions: The Long-Distance Paradox
That fluttery stomach when your phone lights up with their name. The calendar countdown to your next visit. The way time stretches infinitely between video calls. Long-distance relationships have their moments of magic, but here’s the uncomfortable truth research keeps […]
Heartbreak - Lola Adams - Workplaces
“I’m Not Crazy, That Happened….Right?”
It was Thursday night, and Mia was staring at her phone, crafting what she believed was a casual text to her coworker Alex. The same Alex she’d been having lunch with three times a week “by coincidence.” The same Alex […]
Marriage - Monica Dean
“The Pre-Nup Problem”
The other night I was sitting with Jenna at our usual spot in The Crown. Over our third gin and tonic, she finally admitted what was really bothering her. Her brother’s getting married in September, and the family’s in a […]
Relationships - Sophia Rivera
The Cohabitation Trap We’re All Dancing Around
Ever notice that we’ve made moving in together a sort of relationship milestone without bothering to figure out what exactly we’re measuring? Research shows nearly 70% of couples now cohabitate before marriage, yet relationship satisfaction often takes a nosedive after […]
Marriage - Monica Dean - Relationships
“I’m Not Wanted Anymore”
I was chatting with a couple last week in my favorite coffee spot in Didsbury. I’d known them both for years, and after a bit of small talk, he leaned forward and whispered, “Mon, the physical side of our marriage […]
Jas Mendola - Marriage
“Dads: Stop Acting Like You’re the Only One Who Brings Home the Bacon (and the Emotional Labor Too)”
The battlefield of parental roles nobody prepares you for I was three months into my new business launch when my wife hit me with it: “It’s like I don’t even exist to you anymore except as the person who handles […]