Relationships Archives

The Vodka, The Dog, and The Architecture of Us: Why Rituals Save Relationships

Key Takeaways Relationship rituals are an important part of building strong partnerships. This article explores how personal rituals—like pre-flight vodka or nightly dog walks—act as the glue in long-term relationships. It examines the unique burden and freedom same-sex couples face…

The Responsibility of Wedding Witnesses: Beyond the ‘I Do’

The Ceremony and the Silence I begin with two scenes, exploring the responsibility of wedding witnesses in each. The first is my wedding. Our officiant was my fiancé’s best friend, a woman who, over the years, became a very good…

The Miss Havisham Effect: Coping with Unwanted Divorce and Obsessive Fantasy

In the midst of an unexpected, non-consensual divorce, the logic centers of the brain simply shut down. Divorce grief and denial are part of this painful process. For the one left behind—the one who did not choose the ending—the experience…

Time Doesn’t Heal All Wounds

The cliché “time heals all wounds” oversimplifies the deep anguish of divorce, which feels more like an erasure than a new beginning. The lingering grief and societal pressure only amplify isolation, denying the complexity of healing.

Divorce is the Most Selfish Act in Relationships

Divorce, by its very nature, severs what was once considered unbreakable—a partnership that bore the weight of promises, love, and years of shared existence. It dismantles the “we” and isolates each individual into an “I,” leaving stark questions in its…

When Tears Stop Healing: The Paradox of Ineffectual Catharsis

Crying serves as a common emotional release, but when it becomes ineffective, it can lead to deeper feelings of despair, helplessness, and emotional isolation, complicating the grieving process.

What I Learned From a Quaker Education (And Why It Matters After My Divorce)

A Jewish guy reflects on his Quaker education during a tough divorce. He finds guidance in silence, consensus, and inner light, showing how these lessons help him cope with life’s challenges.

Decode Empathy: What It Means (and Doesn’t Mean) During Divorce

I came home from work like any other Tuesday, expecting the familiar comfort of the life David and I had built over a decade. Instead, I found him sitting in the living room, unusually still, beside his best friend. The…

Life During a Divorce: Music, Movies and TV Shows as Constant Reminders

What do you do with all the movies, music, or TV shows that bring back a lot of memories? Seventeen years. Marriage had anchored my life for that long. Then, my husband walked away. His absence left me adrift in…

David Steele Gleason and the target mask

The Forgotten People Left in the Wake of Cancer

Eighteen years. It feels like a lifetime condensed into a collection of shared laughter, whispered confessions, and mundane routines that gave texture to my marriage. Eighteen years of love, or what felt like love, until the moment my husband asked…

Category: Relationships