Love Letters

Can relationships survive a political divide? Meredith sits down with podcast hosts Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers of the grace-filled podcast "Pantsuit Politics" to discuss the growing gender divide and how (and if!) to handle differences in political views within the context of a romantic relationship. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

One day in June of 2014, at the height of the Syrian civil war, Rami made a daring escape from an ISIS militia. But that meant he had to leave his home country, maybe forever. His journey from that moment — into Turkey, then to California, and then to Rhode Island — was something he never could have imagined. Neither was the love story that came out of it. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

On the next season of Love Letters, we’ll be featuring stories that are outside the box. Experiences and stories that fall outside the norm and broaden our understanding of love, gifting us in the most strange and unexpected ways - because love isn't just one thing. It's everything. If you have a story that you EXPERIENCED – or FELT – or are in the MIDDLE of – that was OUTSIDE THE BOX … and taught you something important about relationships — we’d love to hear from you. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Krista Nabar got pretty good at talking about intimate, uncomfortable things. One, she was raised in a household where open dialogue was encouraged. Two, she became a sex therapist. But when it came to confronting things in her own life? Well, that was a different story. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

Can a city be a wingperson? Seongnam City, a community of more than 900,000 people just southeast of Seoul, South Korea, is certainly trying. Spooked by historically low birth and marriage rates, Seongnam City officials have launched a publicly funded matchmaking program to help young people find each other. The goal? Happy couples who start making babies. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

Let’s be honest: There’s a lot of trashy reality television out there. Some shows seem actively manipulative. But Netflix’s "Love on the Spectrum," which follows the dating journeys of young people on the autism spectrum, feels different. Meredith sits down with one of the show’s stars, James B. Jones, to talk about what the show gets right, and how it feels to look for love in such a public way. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

Join Meredith and fellow advice columnist Stacia Brown as they talk breakups with Anita Rao, host of the podcast “Embodied.” Stacia and Meredith give some guidance on how to break up “well” and discuss going no-contact, navigating social media, and finding the right breakup anthem for the moment. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

As an animal researcher, Meghan Martin made groundbreaking discoveries about how giant female pandas choose their mates. She realized that they wouldn’t shack up with just any old male. They wanted a choice. The same held true, she would learn, with rabbits, birds, and other species. The question for Meghan was this: Could she apply those lessons to the human world—to her own world? Plus, we visit a Rhode Island animal shelter that raised money by letting people pay to have cats defecate on the names of exes. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

Are more people considering polyamory these days? Has the pandemic permanently changed the ways we relate to each other? And can Esther Perel take some credit for Meredith's dating success? Meredith sits down with the psychotherapist, relationship expert, and all-around empathetic person to get into these questions and more. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

In Part Two of our series on pro athletes and their spouses, we talk to Shannon Allen, the wife of former NBA superstar Ray Allen, about a bittersweet moment in their lives.

What does it feel like to be the partner of a pro athlete? Where do you find support to handle the public pressure, the instability, the constant threat of being traded? Today, we bring you a two-part series on elite athletes, their spouses, and the people who help them.

Ever since Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey was a kid, music has played a major role in her life. “Eye of the Tiger” got her pumped for basketball games. She caught sets from Joan Baez and Melissa Etheridge working as a cocktail waitress. When she came out in her early 20s, she found solace in the Indigo Girls. These days, the governor uses music to center herself, especially at hard moments. She and her partner, Joanna Lydgate, sit down with Meredith to talk about how music helps them in their lives and in their relationship. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

Meredith’s advice column turns 15 this year. 15! So she’s feeling a little nostalgic. In this episode, Meredith sits down with longtime Boston Globe sports columnist Dan Shaughnessy to trade notes on the thousands of columns each has written over the years. They also compare grief in love to grief in sports, reflect on why sports reporters have always been big fans of Love Letters, and discuss the couple of the moment: Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

When it came time for Sophia to leave a difficult relationship, she knew she couldn’t do it alone. So she assembled a first-rate team, made up of friends, acquaintances, family members, and therapists. Having all of them behind her not only set Sophia free; it gave her back her future. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Michael and Alessandra were both single, bored, and lonely when they got together in mid-2020. It was the height of the pandemic; everyone craved companionship. But in time, Michael and Alessandra discovered that they were better as good friends. And what do good friends do? They help you find true love. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

A bonus episode via the podcast Kelly Corrigan Wonders. Kelly sits down with Krista Tippett, the longtime host and spiritual guide of On Being, which began as a radio program and is now a podcast. At a moment when everything is broken open, when institutions are received with less reverence and more skepticism, Kelly and Krista consider: Where should we point our minds and hearts? What practices serve us best? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

When Nimish left Nepal for college in the United States, he expected some serious challenges, like adjusting to a new culture and studying in a new language. Finding love was not top-of-mind. But as he got older and started to date more, Nimish’s romantic life became his biggest source of anxiety. Because with each budding relationship came an all-consuming question: How do I explain this to my parents? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

A few years ago, while at summer camp in North Carolina, Ray was wrestling with some of life’s biggest questions. Identity, love, growing up, a first kiss — Ray had a lot on their mind, and no one to confide in. Until they met Maria, a counselor clad in sandals and tie-dye who would become Ray’s mentor, guide, life coach, and cheerleader, all wrapped into one. In this first episode of the new season, a portrait of two people and their lasting, beautiful bond. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

1989 Boston. The crack epidemic is raging, the murder rate soaring, and white flight has taken hold. Charles Stuart and his pregnant wife, Carol, are carjacked, drawn deep into a dangerous “inner city” neighborhood, and allegedly shot by a Black man. All of Boston – and the nation – is gripped by the hunt for the suspect. What follows will reveal truths about the city... and ourselves. Presented by The Boston Globe and HBO Documentary Films, Murder in Boston: The Untold Story of the Charles and Carol Stuart Shooting is hosted by Adrian Walker who, along with a team of Pulitzer-winning investigative reporters, unveils explosive new findings and change the narrative of a story long cemented in the city’s lore. The HBO Documentary Series Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning is available to stream on Max.

Almost every love story has a supporting cast — friends, relatives, therapists, and others who play a key role in what happens. In Season 9 of Love Letters, we pay tribute to those important figures in the background. You’ll hear all kinds of stories about help and guidance people received in their romantic lives, from an ex who became the perfect wingperson, to the communities that support the spouses of pro athletes, to the best queer mentor anyone could ask for. Season 9 launches Jan. 23. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

It’s Meredith against the world in this bonus episode as she attempts to prove why a viral list of places women will supposedly never go on a first date is wrong, and why The Cheesecake Factory – that’s right, The Cheesecake Factory – is a totally acceptable date spot. To pull this off, she takes her producer, Jesse, to one of her most beloved spots for a platonic work-date. They discuss everything from Meredith’s devotion to the chain restaurant, to the horoscopian powers of The Cheesecake Factory’s menu, to Shaquille O’Neal and Barbie. All classic first-date stuff. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith sits down with her sister, Brette, to tackle two family-themed letters from the Love Letters column. First, a woman feels some tension with her future sister-in-law. Second, a writer discovers that her boyfriend and her mother had a one-night-stand in the past. Should the woman confront her mom? Does the mom even remember this guy? How are they going to make it through the holidays? Send your own letter to loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith sits down with comedians Jake Johnson and Gareth Reynolds, co-hosts of the popular new podcast “We’re Here to Help.” Gareth and Jake — who played Nick Miller on the hit show "New Girl" — are longtime friends who bonded doing improv together. Their podcast is a lot like them: fun, silly, sometimes accidentally poignant. Meredith, Jake, and Gareth compare their approaches to advice-giving and dish on baldness, horses, and trashy TV. Warning: This episode is very fun. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

For the final episode in our series “We Found Love,” we explore the psychology behind prison relationships, a proposed law in Massachusetts that would eliminate life sentences without parole, and the story of an incarcerated man who’s wrestling with the pressures of a young relationship. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Venus and Cornelius have been together for more than six years and engaged for five. They dream of seeing the world together, buying a house, and making their union official. But whether any of those things will ever happen is unclear, because Cornelius is serving a life sentence for murder without the possibility of parole. In Episode Two of the three-part series “We Found Love,” Boston Globe criminal justice reporter Ivy Scott brings us an intimate portrait of a committed, loving relationship that exists largely on the phone. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

The first chapter of “We Found Love,” a three-part miniseries exploring how romantic love and partnership run up against – and sometimes transcend – the criminal justice system. Through the stories of three couples, at all different stages in their relationships, Boston Globe reporter Ivy Scott dives deep into what it takes to find love in a hopeless place. In today’s episode, she tells the story of Sharlene, a successful working mother with a secret, and Blake, a Southern gentleman serving time for second-degree murder. Their first encounter, in the visiting room of a Massachusetts state prison, would change the course of their lives. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith sits down with director Susanna Fogel to discuss Susanna’s new movie, "Cat Person," based on the buzzy 2017 short story by Kristen Roupenian in The New Yorker. They discuss Susanna’s decision to cast Nicholas Braun and Emilia Jones as romantic leads; the role that friends play in sussing out potential partners; and why "Cat Person," the story, stirred so much contentious debate — Susanna calls it a "weird Rorschach test for people's own [stuff]." Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

On the next season of Love Letters, we’ll be featuring stories about the important role help and guidance from others plays in our relationship choices and love lives, from therapy and professional interventions to advice and assistance from friends, family members, and confidantes. If you have a story about a time someone helped you in your romantic life — or maybe a story about how you gave assistance to someone else — we’d love to hear from you. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Shirley Leung, a business columnist who hosts Say More — a new podcast from Boston Globe Opinion — sits down with Meredith for a few final reflections on love and money, the theme of Season 8 of Love Letters. Also, listeners weigh in with their takes on the season. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. Find Say More wherever you listen to podcasts, or at globe.com/saymore.

Meredith makes a guest appearance on the podcast Meditative Story, a show that tells human stories but with meditation prompts. Vampires, naming squirrels, the death of her mother — it all comes out. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith visits her sister, Brette, on the West Coast, where Brette is recuperating from knee surgery. Together they tackle a letter from a writer who, after a series of serious relationships, wants a year of just being single. But what if that means missing out on a connection of a lifetime? Send your own letter to loveletters@boston.com.

Erica Spates and Sam Littenberg-Weisberg have been professional television writing partners for 13 years. Together, they’ve co-written dozens of TV episodes, pitched and run their own Netflix series, and even won a couple Emmys. They are also married, which means they understand both the emotional highs of working with your partner and the financial lows – like the ongoing Hollywood writers' strike that's put both of their careers on ice. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith talks to Jenée Desmond-Harris, Slate’s Dear Prudence advice columnist and podcast host, about weddings, commitment, and whether it’s kosher to grow an ugly mustache right before you get married. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

It’s easy to understand why prenuptial agreements get a bad rap. We think of that rich guy, selfishly protecting his assets just in case wife No. 3 doesn’t work out. But it turns out that’s a pretty narrow view. There are plenty of people whose marriages have been made stronger by prenups. For Anne and Nick, it wasn’t a hedge against their marriage falling apart. It was an important gesture of trust. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

As a food and travel influencer, Anela Malik’s social media feeds used to be full of inviting dishes and beautiful vistas. Then, in the spring of 2023, her posts took a turn: Anela announced tearfully to her many followers that she was getting divorced. It was an emotional hit but also a financial one. Anela was suddenly forced to make a major investment in a whole new life. And yet … it wasn’t all bad. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith is joined by two of her favorite Boston Globe colleagues, business reporters Diti Kohli and Dana Gerber, to chat about two things that have long bothered her: the way lease cycles influence relationships, and the financial gap between coupled people and single people. Plus, they discuss a pair of letters, including one from a single person who is worried their married friends are growing distant. Email your dating and relationship questions to loveletters@boston.com.

A portrait of two daters in their 20s — Jackie in Chicago, and Nick in Washington. Both of them have been on lots of dates; Nick went on 46 last year alone. When you date this much, the expenses add up quickly: drinks, food, hair, parking, Ubers, clothes, and more. So how do they do it? What happens when the bill comes — who pays? And is it all worth it? Email us at loveletters@boston.com. *Programming note: The next full episode drops July 11th.*

A story about partnership and compromise, told in two acts. Two working spouses — writer Kara Baskin and psychologist Sadé Soares — talk about how they and their partners have navigated money, ambition, career, and sacrifice. How do people combine finances and lives and priorities without losing out or getting resentful? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

No matter how much you might click with a potential partner, there will always be something you don’t quite see eye-to-eye on. Maybe it's religion. Maybe it’s kids. Sometimes? It’s money. In Vicki's case, she and her girlfriend, Jessica, seemed to be a good match — if they could just get past that one thing. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith’s childhood friend Justin L. Wilson was standing at a funeral, listening to a eulogy, when he had an epiphany: I’m going to quit my job. This decision to follow his passion took Justin on a journey that involves falling in love. Breakups. Martin Scorsese. Hall & Oates. The Kelly Clarkson Show. And a lesson – very much still-in-progress – about the price of a dream. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

A special visit from our friends at NPR’s Dear Life Kit podcast, where experts answer your most pressing and personal anonymous questions. In this bonus episode: A letter writer loves her boyfriend's parents, but their generosity feels inappropriate. Maya Lau, host of the podcast Other People's Pockets, weighs in on how to move forward. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith and her sister, Brette, take on two letters, including one from a writer who’s happily coupled but still thinking about an ex. Not because the ex was so great, or because there’s any desire to get back together. It’s purely because he came from family money and offered the prospect of financial stability. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

As a 20-something, Alex was determined to “win” at adulthood. And they did. They got a job, responsibly grew their savings, even bought a house. And then Alex met Tim, a kind and smart man who shared their passions, hobbies, and values. But a few years into their marriage, Alex discovered that Tim was carrying a pretty big secret – one that would jeopardize their hard-earned sense of security. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

On Season 8 of Love Letters, host Meredith Goldstein explores all the ways money plays into love, dating, and relationships. What happens when two partners come from different wealth backgrounds? What if someone is harboring secret debt? Who should pay for drinks on a first date? How do couples decide whose “turn” it is to pursue a career dream? Season 8 launches April 25. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Money is a hard thing to talk about – especially when there’s a partner involved. So, before we kick off a full season of stories about love and money, Meredith felt it was only fair that she open up a little herself. In this special bonus episode, she and her longtime financial advisor share some real talk about her finances, paying for psychics, stashing money in the freezer, and the baggage from her parents’ divorce. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Look, money is a hard thing to talk about -- especially in relationships. But it plays into so many of our decisions. For the next season of Love Letters, we're looking for stories about money in love and dating. How do you tell a serious partner about your student loan debt? What happens when two people come from different wealth backgrounds? Why are breakups so expensive? If you have a story to share about love and money -- even if it needs to be anonymous -- please get in touch. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

After years of being told she wasn’t enough – good enough, smart enough, pretty enough – Tooky Kavanagh discovered that, yeah, actually, she was enough. This revelation came in the unlikeliest of places: the basement of a burger place, at a comedy open mic night. For the first time, Tooky could see who she was supposed to be. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Finding and sustaining love takes real work. It takes intention. But we never know when life is going to throw someone important in front of us. Then we’re forced to confront a big question: Is my heart open to love, or is it not? The story of Roz and Ralph is all about that: being open — remaining open — across six decades, multiple states, one bowl of pea soup, and a whole lot of letters. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith quizzes her sister, Brette, on the latest terms of art in dating and relationships. Plus, they discuss a letter from someone who's all worked up after seeing an old flame at Thanksgiving. Email your dating and relationship questions to loveletters@boston.com.

Pebbles is a well-known morning radio show host in the Boston area. Being happily single has long been part of her brand. But her story – how she came to understand her priorities and know her own heart – is far richer than most people realize. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

There’s a reason Meredith and her friend Kumar hit it off when they first met. Well, two reasons. One, they’re both obsessed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Plus, they both operate with expansive definitions of love, commitment, and partnership. That’s why, when Kumar was going through a major change in his life, Meredith knew just what it felt like. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Ever since he was young, Jared believed he had to choose between being gay and being Muslim. Because everyone around him was telling him he couldn’t be both. This impossible choice tore Jared apart, up until the day he met a kind, blue-eyed stranger on a park bench. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Ana’s first impression of Paris wasn’t very good. First of all, she was from Mexico. So she didn’t know a lick of French. She also hated the food. But she returned 10 years later and fell in love with the city – and with a tall Frenchman who had kind eyes. This storybook romance came with a cost, though. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith and producer Katelyn Harrop take up two letters to Meredith's Love Letters advice column. In the first letter, a man wonders if he should send that closure email he's got all cued up. In the second, a writer asks if she should have worked harder to fix a former relationship. Email your dating and relationship questions to loveletters@boston.com.

Mel and Jay met way back in seventh-grade social studies class. Then in high school, they co-led the Gay Straight Alliance. Mel was straight; Jay was gay. In the years that followed, their love and connection remained durable, even as their relationship took many different forms. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

In 2020, Somerville, Massachusetts became the first municipality in the country allowing polyamorous relationships to qualify for domestic partnership status. Meredith talks to one of the first people to register for the new designation. They discuss what it means – and what it doesn’t. Meredith also talks to a legal expert about the broader social and legal implications of the Somerville ordinance. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Love Letters producer Katelyn Harrop just saw "When Harry Met Sally" for the first time, which leaves Meredith (a WHMS superfan) with one burning question: Has it aged well? They discuss in this Sidebar mini-episode. Email your dating and relationship questions to loveletters@boston.com.

Michaela always craved the kind of life she didn’t have as a kid. She’d find a stable guy, settle down, and start a family. For several years, she seemed to be on her way. But then she discovered that, no matter how clear that original path may have seemed, she ultimately had to build her own. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith and producer Katelyn Harrop take on two new letters, including one from a woman in her 40s who digs her new boyfriend but wasn't thrilled to learn that he'd previously hooked up with most of the women in his friend group. Is this a red flag, or just ancient history? Email your dating and relationship questions to loveletters@boston.com.

All this season, we’ll be telling stories of big changes and how they reshape people’s romantic lives. In the first episode, Meredith shares the story of Bill and Jen, who did that thing many people fantasize about: They quit their day jobs and built a business from scratch. What has this shift meant for their lives – and for their marriage? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Our new season is launching soon. But first ... Meredith and producer Katelyn Harrop dish on letters to Meredith's Love Letters advice column. This week: A single woman says men in their 30s fall into three categories: already coupled up, recently uncoupled and uninterested in anything serious, and too focused on their careers to contemplate a relationship. Does the LL team agree? Email us your dating and relationship questions at loveletters@boston.com.

We're trying out this new thing today. It's called Sidebar. It's a snack-sized episode in which Meredith and producer Katelyn Harrop discuss their favorite recent letters to Meredith's advice column in The Boston Globe. We'll drop you a Sidebar every now and then, between our usual, full-length episodes. In today's episode: finding love in the carpool lane and what it means to date a divorcee. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith chats with business writer and journalist Jon Birger about why he thinks we should get off the apps and seek connection in other ways. Birger is the author of the books "Date-Onomics: How Dating Became a Lopsided Numbers Game" and "Make Your Move: The New Science of Dating and Why Women Are in Charge." Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

We’re back with a bonus episode today. Meredith chats with writer Casey McQuiston about all the things: finding romance for yourself in times of uncertainty, how they get their work done, and what makes a really good love story. McQuiston is the author of the new book "I Kissed Shara Wheeler," the widely successful "Red, White & Royal Blue," and "One Last Stop." Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Sometimes life is about big change. You move across the world. Quit or lose a job. Suddenly get Internet famous. Decide you must join the circus. Maybe not that, but you get it. For the next season of Love Letters, we’re looking for stories about big, monumental changes in people’s romantic lives. Have you ever made a 180 like this? Share it with us at loveletters@boston.com.

For our final episode of the season, we collaborate with the podcast This Is Dating to bring you the story of Manny, a San Francisco thirty-something who’s been kinda sorta breaking a big relationship rule for 11 years and counting. The one that says: You’ll never get over an ex without making a clean break. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. For more on This Is Dating, visit thisisdatingpodcast.com.

Yes, Devin Tomb knows that TV isn’t real life. That “Sex and the City” never explicitly promised her anything. And yet, it was hard not to believe in the future the show presented. Devin figured she, too, would have a squad of single women for adventurous nights and opulent brunches well into her 30s. So what happened? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

When Margaret hit her early 30s, she felt like one of those collectible toys you keep in a box – in mint condition, untouched. She wondered: What am I saving myself for? So she said yes to a throuple that seemed romantic and daring and exhilarating. It turned out to be all of those things and more. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith sits down with two smart people who have spent a lot of time studying relationships – how we make them, what we look for in other people, and the “rules” that color these big decisions. Lamont White is a dating coach and matchmaker. Angela Bahns is a social psychologist whose work raises an important question: Is it actually true that opposites attract? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Ayesha Mattu was supposed to marry a man whose background mirrored hers: Pakistani, Muslim, and from a certain caste. For a time, that was the plan. Then, one night in a dimly lit club, she saw a cute guy dancing. And thus their adventure began. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

When the pandemic hit, Iz was a junior in college with a vibrant social and academic life. They also had a serious partner, with whom they’d been in a monogamous relationship. COVID turned all of that upside down. So Iz decided to try something radical: to forego app dating and look for love IRL. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Just about everybody in a long-term partnership worries they’re not having the right amount of sex. It’s easy to wonder: What is “normal?” For Katie and her husband, this became a central question in their marriage – until she realized she should just stop asking. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

When Ian Coss talks about the legacy of divorce in his family, he’s not kidding. Everybody split up -- parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, multiple aunts and uncles. So when Ian fell in love himself, understanding these broken commitments became his way of avoiding the same fate. Plus, writer and podcaster Christina Tucker on whether universal rules even exist in love and dating. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. (Next episode: Jan. 4)

Naomi and Chandler didn’t know each other before deploying to the same air base in Afghanistan. But they had much in common — they both came from big families and small towns, and neither was looking for love. They also knew the military frowned upon relationships on base. And yet… Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Welcome to Season 6! Our theme for this season is “Breaking the Rules.” It’s all about people who went against the grain, challenged convention, or ignored those relationship myths and tropes we’ve all heard. In the first episode, Meredith tells the story of fellow journalist Kimberly Atkins Stohr, who made an unexpected choice upon getting married. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith talks to fellow advice columnist John Paul Brammer on the occasion of his new book, “Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons.” Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith has a glass of frosé with Erin, whose dating journey Love Letters chronicled in Season 2. Erin gives an update on her love life, shares what changed for her during the pandemic, and admits to crushing on a guy in a cemetery. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

In the final episode of the season, Meredith turns hosting duties over to her sister, Brette. And for an important reason: It’s finally time for Meredith to share her own story -- her own new beginning. It’s a story about saying “yes” when that feels right, and about the growth that comes from pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Knowing whether your partner is "the one" can be hard. Especially when you meet earlier in life. It’s tough to know who is truly here to stay, and who may just be right for the moment. That was true for Monica, who fell for a guy in college and then wasn’t so sure. Hers is a story about multiple new beginnings, and about the importance of getting to know yourself before going all in on someone else. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Many of us have clear expectations for our romantic lives. We envision a certain kind of partner, a certain kind of relationship. But Nicole found her new beginning after giving herself permission to change course. The end result? She’s built a life she never imagined for herself. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Trenni used to pity the “boyfriend people” -- women she knew whose lives seemed to revolve around a guy. She valued her independence and wore it like a badge of honor. Then, a chance encounter on the street led her to a life-changing discovery. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

When a step-parent enters the picture, it can be an especially fraught new beginning -- for everyone involved. Stacie discovered this after she and Tim decided to make a life together. Tim came with two kids; Stacie had none. Nor did she have any idea -- at first, anyway -- what it meant to be a step-mom. Plus, Meredith and her sister, Brette, sing Mary Poppins. Sort of. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

It’s hard to not worry about the future. We all want to know how things are going to work out. For Meighan, her romantic path seemed clear. Until … it didn’t. That’s when she learned to let go of tomorrow and just live for today. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

When Letitia needed inspiration for her new beginning, she found it in the most natural place: from her mother, who showed Letitia how to keep her heart open to new love. Even when it seemed so overwhelming. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

A vow renewal is a special breed of new beginning. It’s not just a restatement of original promises; it’s about a couple reaffirming their love and mutual commitment after years of lived experience. Which is exactly why Cindy Brown and Sharon McMahon chose to do it again and again. Plus, Meredith drops in on a (virtual) mass vow renewal ceremony organized by her alma mater, Syracuse University. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

When Paola Bayron first noticed the cute guy at work, she already had a boyfriend. Over the next four years, as she and her colleague began and ended other relationships, the two of them cycled through periods of flirting, talking, not talking, and avoiding each other altogether. Until one day, when they couldn’t avoid each other any longer. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

All this season, hear stories of new beginnings, resets, do-overs, and fresh chapters. In the first episode, Meredith shares the story of Kristina Libby and Tim Cahill, a New York couple who -- despite all the horribleness of the past year -- still managed to find each other. Then they grew closer through a modern-day Victorian courtship, finding sexiness in restraint and boundaries. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

(In collaboration with and presented by the Boston Pops) Do good artistic partners make good romantic ones? In this special bonus episode, dancers Mia Dalglish and Jun Kuribayashi share their story of marriage, tango, and one very important full moon. Also, Meredith talks to Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart about what it takes to be a good collaborator -- in music and in life. Have a story to share? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

In this special live episode taping, Meredith is joined by her sister, Brette, and Elizabeth Segran, a journalist and author of the book "The Rocket Years." Their wide-ranging conversation dwells on love lessons at different ages, and how one's perceptions of potential partners evolves over time. Have a story you'd like to share? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Paul’s story is straight out of a rom-com. After his first marriage fell apart, he gave up on love. Then a woman walked into his life, and, well, she changed his mind. That was more than 30 years ago. Through sickness, health, and many tears along the way, Paul and his wife learned the secret to a successful partnership: You just keep showing up. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

On today’s episode, three writers -- Alondra Bobadilla, Asiyah Herrera, and Meredith Russo -- talk about the relationship between art and love, and how they use their creative work to explore ideas about dating, courtship, belonging, and commitment. All of them, in their own way, understand love and life by writing it. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

The thing about love is, we never stop learning. That’s a good thing. We’re supposed to be ever-evolving creatures, always working to be better. After three long-term relationships, Claire knows this as well as anyone. This is her story: three loves, many lessons. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

How do expectations for love affect what we seek, and how we define relationship success? Sarah Huckman had grand expectations for her romantic life heading into college. Then she got there and it wasn’t quite what she’d imagined. Also, Meredith’s sister, Brette, joins the show to share the most important relationships lessons she’s learned. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

How do you get through the hardest moments as a couple? By building a strong foundation. Writer and actress Marianne Leone Cooper reflects on her life with actor Chris Cooper, and how the two of them supported and complemented one other when it mattered most. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Over the three decades they've known each other, Jenny and Molly have been friends, more than friends, and everything in between. Along the way, they've cycled through many different lessons about love, trust, and companionship. Their story is about how sometimes, no matter how much you grow and change, you can keep someone forever. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Monica grew up an Air Force brat, moving with her family from base to base in Europe, Asia, and the United States. She never stuck around long enough to make meaningful connections. It wasn't until her 20s that Monica learned an important lesson: Relationships matter, and when they end, you must honor them with a proper goodbye. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Introducing Mr. 80 Percent, a new six-part narrative podcast hosted by friend-of-Love-Letters Mark Shanahan. Mr. 80 Percent is a deeply personal, sometimes harrowing, often funny, always true story about Mark’s odyssey with prostate cancer. There’s sex, celebrity cameos, real talk about masculinity, and more sex. Listen to Mr. 80 Percent wherever you get your podcasts, or online at bostonglobe.com/prostate.

Ian was going through a hard time, but his new boyfriend seemed just right. The guy was cute, and exciting, and didn't make Ian dwell on his problems. But just when Ian needs him most, he reveals his limits as a partner. Turns out, it's a love lesson ripped from the TV show Ian and Meredith share an obsession with: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

When Jenni and Drew hit their 40s, Drew decides to build a ball pit in their house. Not for their kids -- for him. The splurge fulfills a lifelong dream of Drew's, but it also holds a lesson about marriage, self-care at middle age, and learning to live for the moment. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

On Season 4 of Love Letters, host Meredith Goldstein explores love at every age -- from the first stirrings of teenage infatuation to the hard-won lessons of the golden years. Universal stories about dating and relationships, coming September 15. Email us at loveletters@boston.com or find us on Twitter @lovelettersblog.

Kim and Glenn Schryver are experts at coupling in isolation. For more than a dozen years, the Schryvers have managed a remote mountain reservoir in the Rockies of Colorado. They go weeks without seeing anyone but each other. How do they do it? And what can they teach other couples who now find themselves in a similar position? ... For Season 4, we're looking for love lessons at all kinds of ages. Have a story you'd like to share? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Is he using the lockdown to ghost? Is it a good time to text your ex? Meredith invites her sister, Brette, onto the show to dish out advice to letter-writers dealing with pandemic-related relationship problems. Plus, their friend Nicole offers an intimate look at what it's like to date on FaceTime. How has COVID-19 affected your relationship? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith Goldstein talks to Boston Globe film critic Ty Burr about what to watch during stressful times, why people are drawn to disaster flicks, and the best rom-coms to screen right now -- including a Keanu Reeves-Sandra Bullock classic. What are you watching? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Introducing Motherhood Sessions, a podcast from our friends at Gimlet. Motherhood Sessions features emotionally honest conversations about being a mom. In this episode, Dr. Alexandra Sacks sits down with a couple that hasn’t had sex in more than two years. On the surface, it seems like the birth of their son was the main cause of their loss of intimacy. But as Dr. Sacks digs deeper, it turns out that the couples’ sexual issues pre-date their child.

Jia Tolentino, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of the essay collection "Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion," joins Meredith to talk about how she knew she didn't want to get married. Have a story of your own? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Lisa was just 34 when her husband died suddenly of a heart condition. As she came to terms with her grief, she confronted questions she never thought she’d have to answer: How do you know when to move past mourning and date new people? How do you know you’re ready? … Have a story of your own? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

If you want a new relationship to last, how long should you wait to sleep together? There’s an old adage that says three dates. But is that right? In today’s episode, we explore three takes on this question. Have a story of your own? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Huda always knew her marriage would be supervised by her family. She accepted that, but she pined for romance: She wanted a love story worthy of the American rom-coms she grew up on. The question was, could she have both?... Have a story of your own? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

As a newly single mom, Lauren had to wrestle with two big questions. First, when to start dating again. Second, how and when to introduce her daughter to the men she was seeing. For Lauren -- and for anyone trying to date while raising kids -- the stakes can be quite high. Have a story of your own? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

What do pierced nipples and “Silent Night” have in common? In today’s stories, both were signs that a relationship had run its course. Jordan had to accept that his marriage was over. Allison had to listen to her gut. Have a story of your own? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Sometimes friendship is just friendship, and sometimes it’s meant to be more. But how do you know? Aubrey spent years trying to figure that out with a guy she calls The Singer. Could she learn to be comfortable with ambiguity? … Have a story of your own? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Marlee and John’s relationship got serious fast after an a-ha moment at a Michigan bar. They got married and built a local arts community together. Ultimately, their marriage didn’t last. But their relationship did. Have a story of your own? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

One night on a dark dance floor, Douglass Williams bumped into the woman who would change his life. Not just because they went on to get married and start a family together. She gave him a lifelong gift -- one he didn’t know he was looking for … Have a story of your own? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith was the special guest on this recent episode of “Hot and Bothered,” a podcast about reading – and writing – romance novels. Hear Meredith talk with host Vanessa Zoltan about paranormal romance and what we can learn from vampires, ghouls, and fairies in love. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Anna Sale, host of the podcast Death, Sex & Money, talks about the time a stressful couch purchase forced her and her boyfriend to reexamine their relationship. In time, they learned how to talk about money, and how to share a life together … Have a story of your own? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Lance was certain he and his wife would be partners for life. But it would take years for Lance to truly understand himself. What happens when you make a big call about love at a young age? … Have a story of your own? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Elizabeth and Dave are two Austin musicians who initially sought different things from their relationship. In time, both knew they were meant to be together. But how? What did that “knowing” look like? … Have a story of your own? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

How do you know when it’s true love? When to sleep together for the first time? When to leave someone? This season of Love Letters, Boston Globe advice columnist Meredith Goldstein takes on a universal question: How do you know? Stories, confessions, expert advice, and more. Season 3 launches September 24. Email us at loveletters@boston.com or tweet at us using #loveletterspodcast.

Here’s a clip of a new show called The Moment, from our friends at Wondery. The Moment, hosted by newly engaged comedian and actress Ingrid Haas, tells stories about love, relationships, and dating in a fun, comedic way. You can find The Moment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Learn more at wondery.fm/globeloveletters.

In this bonus episode, Meredith Goldstein talks to two people who met their partners in online communities — including one who found love in the comments section of Meredith’s column. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith Goldstein and special guests take the stage at the Comedy Studio at Bow Market in Somerville, Mass. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

How do you build a relationship with someone who saved your life? In the final episode of Season 2, Meredith Goldstein shares stories of love that flowered in moments of stress and danger. Her sister, Brette, confesses to a trick she once used to woo someone on a roller coaster. Plus, Meredith brings Erin into the studio to reflect on what she learned this season as the Love Letters guinea pig. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

If you’re dating, it’s a thing you hear a lot: A good way to meet someone is to take a class or join a social activity. Like playing on a co-ed volleyball team. Taking a sourdough bread-making class. Signing up for pottery. But does it work? In Episode 9, Meredith Goldstein looks at whether activities, classes, and clubs can lead you to love. Plus, something good happens to Erin. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

To find a partner, sometimes you’ve just gotta grab the moment. This is something Meredith Goldstein knows all too well. Because that guy she liked in college? Matt Dorfman? Well, she missed her chance. In Episode 8, Meredith explores bravery and regret, and she tells the story of one British photographer who did act on her romantic impulse. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meeting someone takes work, time, and commitment. It can also take money. Sometimes a lot. In Episode 7, Meredith Goldstein explores what we spend on dating and why. She talks to Lindsey Stanberry, of Refinery29’s “Money Diaries,” and tells the story of a woman who spent serious money on a professional matchmaker. Plus, Erin makes a cameo on The Science of Happiness podcast. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Everybody wants a meet-cute story. It’s like we’ve all watched so many rom-coms that anything less feels like a letdown. But what does a meet-cute truly mean to a relationship? Meredith Goldstein explores this question by revisiting the story of how her parents met. Also in the episode, Meredith tires quickly of swiping, but Erin does not -- and gets rewarded. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Trust. Intimacy. Affection. They’re all key ingredients to a healthy romantic relationship. But what happens when pain, trauma, and memory get in the way? In Episode Five, Meredith Goldstein explores the unique challenges of trying to find love and connection after a difficult past. Also, Erin has a promising date and Meredith starts swiping for the first time in her life. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Dating can feel like a second full-time job. You feel like you have to constantly check the apps, update your profiles, and swipe on new faces, lest you miss out on something. And that’s all before you actually go on any dates. In this episode, Meredith Goldstein looks at the epidemic of dating fatigue. She talks to comedian Lane Moore, the brains behind the show “Tinder Live” and the author of “How To Be Alone,” and hits the bar with Erin, the woman Love Letters is following all season. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Does where you live affect your dating life? Would it be easier to find a partner if you lived in another city? Meredith Goldstein investigates these oft-asked questions through conversations with three people who have lived and dated in multiple zip codes. Plus, Meredith checks in with Erin, the single woman whose dating life Love Letters is chronicling all season. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith Goldstein tells the story of one of the riskier work crushes she’s come across. Because, really, what’s riskier than falling in love with H.R.? Meredith also explores the complexities of dating in the workplace in the #MeToo era, and she talks do’s and don’t’s with an employment lawyer who’s seen and heard it all. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

In the first episode of the new season, Meredith Goldstein asks: Whatever happened to the good old-fashioned set-up? She talks to two friends with starkly different views on whether set-ups are worthwhile, and she visits a salon that offers far more than haircuts. Plus, Meredith introduces Erin, a 44-year-old single woman whose dating life Love Letters will be chronicling all season. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

On Season 2 of Love Letters, Boston Globe advice columnist Meredith Goldstein tackles one of love’s fundamental questions: How do you meet someone? Through stories, advice from experts, and confessions from her own life, Meredith will explore what works, what doesn’t, and what it means to be dating in 2019. Season 2 of Love Letters launches February 12.

Is a breakup the end of something, or only the beginning? In Season One of Love Letters, Boston Globe advice columnist Meredith Goldstein explores this question through intimate stories of love and heartbreak and confessions from her own life. Love Letters launches March 20.

In this special bonus episode of Love Letters, Meredith explores camp love and the end-of-summer goodbyes that inevitably follow. Summer romances can be fleeting and ultimately insignificant. But sometimes they can mean much more. Email us at loveletters@boston.com or find us online at loveletters.show.

Some people believe that establishing a friendship with your ex is the true sign you’ve moved on from the relationship. It’s not always that simple, though. In the final episode of Season One, Meredith explores friendship with exes -- including her own -- and she talks to Esther Perel about what makes that possible. Email us at loveletters@boston.com or find us online at loveletters.show.

Can you really get back together after a breakup? Does harboring that hope prevent you from moving on? Meredith tackles these often-asked questions and explores the pitfalls of wishful thinking. And she talks to one family who defied the odds in an extraordinary way. Email us at loveletters@boston.com or find us online at loveletters.show.

Meredith explores the healing power of music after a breakup. A lovelorn actress walks into a karaoke bar -- and finally finds peace. Hit songwriter Bonnie Hayes explains the universality of a good song. And a master playlist-maker shares his breakup recommendations. Email us at loveletters@boston.com or find us online at loveletters.show.

The impulse to reinvent after a breakup can be strong. We want to run and chop our hair off. Or change careers. Or maybe climb a mountain. Meredith explores this quest for “breakup accomplishments” and how they help us raise our value -- not necessarily for other people, but for ourselves. Email us at loveletters@boston.com or find us online at loveletters.show.

So much evaporates after a breakup -- the sweet texts, the lazy brunches, the shared Hulu account you both used for the “The Handmaid’s Tale.” But mementos from your time together remain, like relics of another era. Is it better to hold onto these things, or to dump them? Meredith investigates. With a cameo by Margo Howard. Email us at loveletters@boston.com or find us online at loveletters.show.

The worst kinds of breakups are the murky ones. You think maybe you've been dumped, but you’re not totally sure. Or you know you’ve been dumped but still have so many questions, starting with: Why? Meredith learns the do’s and don’t’s of breaking up -- from the people who know best. Email us at loveletters@boston.com or find us online at loveletters.show.

Breaking up was easier before social media. Not the emotional part -- that was always hard -- but the mechanics of it. You broke up and just avoided each other at the mall. Today, disentangling is … complicated. Photos of your ex with a new love infiltrate your news feed. Even a Venmo transaction can send you reeling. Email us at loveletters@boston.com or find us online at loveletters.show.

It’s common advice after a breakup: The best way to get over an ex is to get under someone new. But does it work? Is rebound sex empowering, or does it just leave you feeling lonelier? Meredith Goldstein explores the emotions -- and the science -- at play in one of life’s most vulnerable moments. Email us your thoughts at loveletters@boston.com and find us online at loveletters.show.