Love Letters

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. For more on This Is Dating, visit thisisdatingpodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. (Next episode: Jan. 4) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices