Love Letters

When was the last time you went to a house party – or threw one? Do you love to be invited to parties, but then, day of, feel like it’s hard to motivate yourself to get out the door? Whether you’re a party person or not, this episode will give you perspective. Our storyteller is Jazmin, our own Love Letters podcast producer, who LOVES throwing parties, but has found that others have trouble actually showing up and participating. She spills the details about a particular party this summer that left her in tears. Who saved the day? The answer is … unexpected – and includes lessons about how, why, and with WHOM we gather. Remember, Love Letters has a Friends With Benefits Club with a free extra episodes, an ad-free experience, and swag. Sign up at Globe.com/loveletters/friendswithbenefits. We are grateful for support. If you sign up you'll be able to hear the outtakes from this episode where Jazmin and I discuss structured fun, anxiety at parties, and when to trust your own instincts on stranger danger. Also, we are an advice column! Please send a letter about what’s happening in your relationship life. You can submit anonymous questions to https://www.boston.com/question-for-meredith. When you ask a question, you help others wondering the same thing. Love Letters is a production of The Boston Globe. This short series about All Kinds of Love is brought to you in partnership with the Greater Good Science Center’s "Spreading Love Through the Media" initiative, funded by the John Templeton Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zachary Reese is a social psychologist who studies close relationships. He also focuses on self-disclosure – meaning, what we share with others. Do you feel like you don’t know how to make friends at work? Do you wonder whether you should turn a professional experience into a more personal bond? Are you constantly wondering, “Did I say too much about myself?” and second-guessing what you tell people you just met? Listen as Meredith and Zachary talk about sharing … while sharing with each other. So meta. Remember, Love Letters has a Friends With Benefits Club with a free extra episodes, an ad-free experience, and swag. Sign up at Globe.com/loveletters/friendswithbenefits. We are grateful for all support. Also, please send a letter about what’s happening in your relationship life to our long-running advice column. You can submit anonymous questions through our anonymous form. When you ask a question, you help others feel less alone. Studies, books, and research Zachary and I mention in this episode: “Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves by Allison Wood Brooks. Nick Epley’s work on shallowness in conversation. Ethan Cross’s research on self-disclosure. Work about in-person vs. written communication in Nature Communications. Micaela Rodriguez’s work about how being single makes it possible to grow.  Reporting by Jonathan Woodward at Religion News Service. Love Letters is a production of The Boston Globe. This short series about All Kinds of Love is brought to you in partnership with the Greater Good Science Center’s "Spreading Love Through the Media" initiative, funded by the John Templeton Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an exploration of all kinds of love, Meredith investigates love at work.She tries to figure out whether she loves her longtime coworker, Caffrey. Is Caffrey family? Is he simply a colleague? Does her relationship with Caffrey help her maintain strong connections in other parts of her life? Join this awkward discussion between two Globe employees who are not used to talking about their feelings for each other.We also hear a story from a Love Letters listener whose experience proves that love at work – among medical residents, specifically – isn’t like “Grey’s Anatomy” … but it is big and important.Remember, Love Letters has a Friends With Benefits Club with a free extra episodes, an ad-free experience, and swag. Sign up at Globe.com/loveletters/friendswithbenefits. We are grateful for all support.Also, please send a letter about what’s happening in your relationship life to our long-running advice column. You can submit anonymous questions to https://www.boston.com/question-for-meredith/. When you ask a question, you help others feel less alone.Love Letters is a production of The Boston Globe. This short series about All Kinds of Love is brought to you in partnership with the Greater Good Science Center’s "Spreading Love Through the Media" initiative, funded by the John Templeton Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our last episode, we learned how loving a boy band can help us love each other. We told the story of Theresa, a 50-something New Kids on the Block fan, who got a life-saving medical assist from Christina, another fan, who stepped up for a stranger simply because they both love NKOTB.In this follow-up episode, Bryant University assistant professor Melanie Maimon – who studies the psychology of belonging – explains how being part of a community of fans can help us develop relationships. If we love something (music, art, books, etc.) and are around likeminded others, we might be on our way to forming important platonic and romantic connections. Maimon herself is a Fall Out Boy fan. When she’s at a concert, she assumes the best of people around her – like she’s may have found her group As Fall Out Boy might put it, “I was just an only child of the universe … and then I found you.” (If you know that lyric, you're a real one.)Meredith and Maimon also get into how lonely it can feel when fans of the same artist don’t agree with each other about everything. (A timely conversation with news about Ed Sheeran, Macklemore, etc.)This episode is part of a special Love Letters series about all kinds of love. We wanted to tell these stories because without our platonic and community connections, romance is less healthy and fun. This “All Kinds of Love” series is supported by UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, as part of its "Spreading Love Through the Media" initiative, supported by the John Templeton Foundation. Remember, Love Letters is an advice column. You can send anonymous questions about friendship, dating, marriage, divorce, messy breakups, dating fatigue, situationships, etc. through our anonymous form.Also remember: we now have a Friends With Benefits program. You can get ad-free episodes, a bonus episode a month, extended cuts of episodes, and Love Letters swag by signing up at loveletters.supportingcast.fm. INCOGNI Deal: To get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan, go to incogni.com/LOVELETTERS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can boy bands fans save the world? Maybe. They can certainly save each other. In this episode, we meet Theresa Crockett, of California, who needed a kidney and found hope – and a lifeline – through her love of New Kids on the Block. This is a feel-good story about love between strangers (both of whom are “Blockheads”). It’s also about supportive spouses, family members, and a guy named Donnie Wahlberg. Read more about their story here: ⁠https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/09/15/magazine/new-kids-nkotb-fans-kidney-transplant/ ⁠ This “All Kinds of Love” series is supported by UC Berkeley's ⁠Greater Good Science Center⁠, as part of its "Spreading Love Through the Media" initiative, supported by the ⁠John Templeton Foundation⁠. And learn more about kidney donation here: ⁠⁠https://www.uclahealth.org/programs/core-kidney⁠⁠ Our “Friends with Benefits” members get an extended cut of this episode – and one extra episode a month! And no ads! Join the group here. We appreciate your support. Also, Love Letters is an advice column; send your anonymous questions about relationships to loveletters@boston.com or through this anonymous form. When you ask a question, you help others feel less alone. 🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code LOVELETTERS at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/LOVELETTERS ⛵ Exclusive Coveron discount: : https://coveron.com/LOVELETTERS or use the code LOVELETTERS at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meredith has wondered: why do so many people despise their in-laws? Specifically … their mother-in-laws?To explore the topic, Meredith welcomes Janice Page, who tells a story about her mother-in-law,  Yu Ying.Janice explains how she and her mother-in-law became close, despite not speaking the same language, and how they stayed connected over decades. Meredith and Janice discuss how to see extended family, and what relatives of partners can teach us about ourselves. Want extra new episodes? Join our Friends With Benefits club by visiting ⁠globe.com/loveletters/friendswithbenefits⁠. You’ll get an ad-free experience, an extra episode a month, and a Love Letters journal (if you join for a year). And you'll even be able to hear an extended cut of this episode. Thank you for supporting our show. We want to support you right back. Remember, Love Letters is also an advice column. Ask Meredith a question about your relationship life by emailing ⁠loveletters@boston.com⁠. Exclusive Coveron discount: : https://coveron.com/LOVELETTERS or use the code LOVELETTERS at checkout. 🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code LOVELETTERS at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/LOVELETTERS ⛵ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Margo Howard, daughter of advice columnist Ann Landers and noted advice columnist in her own right, died recently at the age of 86.Meredith had the pleasure of knowing Margo for years in Boston. Occasionally they lunched at fancy restaurants and talked about the advice column business.Sometimes they gossiped.Sometimes Margo gave Meredith advice about her love life.Today we're sharing an episode from Season 1 that features Margo – with some new thoughts from Meredith about what she learned from Margo about moving on.Remember, Love Letters is an advice column. Send your questions about all kinds of relationships to loveletters@globe.com or visiting our anonymous submission page.You can join our special Friends With Benefits club – for extra episodes, an ad-free experience, and bonus content – by clicking here. 🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code LOVELETTERS at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/LOVELETTERS ⛵ Exclusive Coveron discount: : https://coveron.com/LOVELETTERS or use the code LOVELETTERS at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Want extra new episodes? Join our Friends With Benefits club by visiting globe.com/loveletters/friendswithbenefits. You’ll get an ad-free experience, an extra episode a month, and a Love Letters journal (if you join for a year). And you'll even be able to hear an extended cut of this episode. Thank you for supporting our show. We want to support you right back. In today’s episode we learn it’s never too late to grow, make change, and get single to live your best life. Meet Chrissy, who is 79 and getting a divorce. She explains why this is happening after decades of marriage, and why this new path is essential now. Chrissy also shows us her blooming garden, which is a lovely metaphor for what’s to come. Click here to read the transcript. Remember, Love Letters is also an advice column. Ask Meredith a question about your relationship life by emailing loveletters@boston.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First: please join our Love Letters “Friends With Benefits” group. You’ll get extra episodes, swag, and an ad-free experience. For more info, visit globe.com/loveletters/friendswithbenefits. Today Meredith revisits an episode from the vault that features her high school boyfriend. She offers some new perspective – and fun updates. Meredith wanted to take a closer look at this story because of 18-year-old Lyla, our most recent guest, who explained her own high school breakup. In this one, there are lessons, laughs … and some new perspective. Enjoy revisiting former loves, and remember, Love Letters is also an advice column. Send your questions about relationships to loveletters@boston.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join our Friends With Benefits club for an ad-free experience, a monthly bonus episode, and more. For details, visit Globe.com/loveletters/friendswithbenefits. In this episode, we meet Lyla, a recent high school graduate who tells a story about being dumped by a college-bound senior when she was a junior. It was a devastating breakup. It was also messy.A year later, it’s also a bit funny. The truth is, it’s hard to know when to end a high school relationship. It’s confusing, emotional, complicated – and there’s so much changing all at once. A year after this breakup, Lyla – now a college-bound 18-year-old herself – shares this story, with lessons about how to manage a relationship that’s probably temporary, and how to be kind when you’re letting go. Remember, we’re also an advice column. Send your questions about relationships to loveletters@boston.com. When you share your quandaries, you help others dealing with the same thing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey everybody, it's Meredith. I'm here with a big announcement. We are starting a club. We are calling it Friends with Benefits. We're doing this for two reasons. One is for connection. Two is for bonus episodes and perks. If you join our FWB club, you’ll get an ad-free experience and an extra episode a month. If you sign up for a year, you get that ad-free experience and extra episode at an 18 percent discount. You’ll also get Love Letters swag in the form of a pretty journal for your thoughts and feelings. You can sign up to join by clicking that link wherever you get podcasts, or visit globe.com/loveletters/friendswithbenefits There is no pressure to join! Truly, we’re so grateful you show up for Love Letters. This podcast will continue to be free, available wherever you listen. But if you want extras, we’re here for that too. We’re so grateful for your support. Thanks for being here and spending time with us. We love telling you stories about love in all forms. It means so much that you’re here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She directed and co-stars in “The Invite,” a film about two couples who have a fairly monumental, impromptu dinner. It’s a comedy that turns into a drama … and then back to a comedy. It also stars Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, and Edward Norton. Meredith saw “The Invite” and thought, "Oh, this should be part of a Love Letters Film Festival, if we ever had one." Today Meredith is joined by Olivia for a discussion about many things, including: why we like to see couples be awkward, Gen Z and technology, polyamory in Massachusetts, the meaning of marriage in 2026, how to stay optimistic about love, and, most importantly, their experiences with psychotherapist and podcast Esther Perel. Meredith and Olivia both have personal connections to Perel, who served as an adviser on the film. Enjoy a lively conversation about love and the stories we tell about it.Also, an event reminder! You can also sign up to attend Meredith’s free June 30th phone booth event – a 6 p.m. celebration of the Tell-A-Booth (featured on the pod) – by visiting bpl.org. Remember, Love Letters is also an advice column. Feel free to tell us your anonymous questions about your relationship life my emailing loveletters@globe.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jujubee, the boisterous drag queen and fan favorite on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” is the alter-ego of Airline Inthyrath, a relatively introverted homebody from Massachusetts. In this episode, Airline tells us a story about a recent relationship – and the lessons that came with it. In short: sometimes it’s difficult to be present. Other times it’s hard to know when to stop that relationship train. Learn all about Airline – and then see Jujubee in “Stop! That! Train!,” a new movie directed by Adam Shankman, who made the musicals “Hairspray” and “Rock of Ages.” The movie also stars RuPaul as the President of the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to summer wedding season.To celebrate, Meredith interviews Ruhama Wolle, the author of “I Hope You Elope: A Bridesmaid Survival Guide.”Ruhama says too may people say “yes” to being a bridesmaid before they understand the job. This is why weddings can turn friends against one another.Join Meredith and Ruhama for a discussion about wedding costs (financial and emotional), alternatives to traditions, and how to take care of yourself during someone else’s celebration of love.Remember Love Letters is an advice column. Send your questions about relationships to loveletters@boston.com. Get Meredith’s newsletter at Boston.com/meredith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Jordan was young, he saw actress Janeane Garofalo on television. Since then, he’s had a type: smart, creative, sardonic, sarcastic, brunette, glasses-wearing women. Not a bad thing … or is it limiting? What does it mean when we have a type? If our type doesn’t like us back, do we have to expand our parameters when looking for love? Take a journey with Meredith and Jordan through an exploration of types ... and the perfection of the woman who starred in “Reality Bites,” and “The Truth About Cats and Dogs,” and made a memorable guest appearance on “The Adventures of Pete & Pete.” Share your thoughts on this episode by emailing loveletters@boston.com. Tell us all about your type – or share your relationship questions. Remember, we’re an advice column, too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Come by the Boston Public Library June 30th at 6pm for a celebration of the Tell-a-booth! https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/6a0f3efffab4ff0f649aaf51 In February, Meredith unveiled a Love Letters Tell-A-Booth at The Boston Public Library.More than 1,000 calls have come in already … mostly from locals – and many tourists – who stop in, enter the booth, and leave a question on an old-school payphone.What can we learn from an anonymous phone booth where people can ask anything? Meredith explains by sharing messages from the booth, and by processing the experience with public library staffer Bailey Watroba, who has thoughts about why young people love old technology.Remember, Love Letters is also an advice column. Send a question about romance, friendships, marriage, breakups, dating fatigue to loveletters@boston.com.You can also submit your own stories to the podcast at that address. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Really? What’s up with that?Simone, a single mom in her 40s, wrote to the Love Letters advice column asking, “Why don’t men on dating apps ask me any questions?” Simone said these men are happy to answer questions about themselves, but they don’t ask anything in return.That means Simone has to do so much work to keep the conversation going.Simone tells her story to Meredith, who also gets feedback and context from experts who study curiosity and the art of asking questions. They include Todd Kashdan, director of the Well-Being Laboratory at George Mason University.He helps Meredith examine the gender piece of it all, the cultural influences, and why asking questions is a beautiful skill – and, perhaps, a lost art.Remember, Love Letters is an advice column that LOVES questions. Do you have something on your mind about your relationship life? Email it to loveletters@boston.com or visit boston.com/loveletters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meredith talks to former Love Letters guest Margaret H. Willison about “Adult Braces,” a new memoir by feminist writer Lindy West that has sparked big debate about West’s polyamorous relationship.West – who also wrote “Shrill” (which became a Hulu show) – says in this new book that she didn’t want to be in a non-monogamous relationship … but is now happy being one of three. But some readers/fans of West have found this happiness hard to believe.The book reminded Meredith of Margaret’s episode, which was about a complicated non-monogamous relationship that did not work out for Margaret.If you haven’t read the book, that’s OK. Meredith and Margaret will explain the conversation, and how critiques of the book have revealed what we expect of other people’s love stories.Margaret also gives an update on her love life, which is more calm than it used to be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We get a big update from Nicole, a guest who once explained an era of her life when she took a zillion classes – and signed up for countless activities (dragon boat racing, included) – to try to meet a boyfriend.  Where is Nicole now? She tells us all about life after those classes, and why she wishes she could take more of them now. Join Meredith and Nicole for a sweet update about getting what you want – and what it means to keep learning and participating. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yowei Shaw, host of the podcast “Proxy” – and former host of NPR’s “Invisibilia” – joins Love Letters to tell a story about the time she was embarrassed of her partner … because he’s a man.This is Part 2 of our two-part series inspired by a viral Vogue essay that suggested women are now embarrassed about having male partners.Yowei’s story is a nuanced one. From the outside it might have seemed like Yowei was embarrassed by the wonderful man in her life, but in reality she was just trying to figure out who she was … and how to fit in.Laugh along as Yowei confesses how she hid a significant other, and how it changed her.To learn more about Love Letters and this episode (fun photos, etc.), sign up for Meredith’s newsletter at boston.com/Meredith.Love Letters is also an advice column. You can send any questions about friendship, love, dating, breakups, starting over, building community, etc. to loveletters@boston.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last fall, Chanté Joseph wrote an essay with the headline: “Is it embarrassing to have a boyfriend now?” The piece – about the politics of showing off heterosexual relationships – went viral; people debated it all over TikTok and beyond. (Even New York City’s mayor weighed in.)Months later, Meredith and Chanté sit down to discuss why the essay hit so many nerves at once. Some readers hated Chanté's essay and what it suggested about the evolving values of women.Others – namely single straight women – loved that Chanté’s essay highlighted women who are choosing to post pictures of friends instead of significant others.It’s a complicated discussion – and Part 1 in a two-part exploration of why the concept of a boyfriend can be a bit … cringey.This episode features a montage of creators who were inspired by Chanté’s essay. They are, in order of appearance: @thanahit @maryarchived @jedidahbila @JeffHarryPlays @melvinoyx @rollotomassi @boyproblemsshow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meredith has long been interested in the Kinsey Institute, a place were researchers focus their work on sex and relationships.In this episode, Meredith interviews Kinsey Executive Director Justin Garcia about his new book, “The Intimate Animal: The Science of Sex, Fidelity, and Why We Live and Die for Love.”Meredith read the book in one sitting.Her conversation with Justin covers many topics including monogamy, emotional intimacy, and how to keep long relationships working.They also discuss the concept of “slow love,” and why younger people think of marriage as the end of a road, as opposed to the beginning.Remember, Love Letters is also an advice column. When you ask a question, you help others wondering the same thing. Email your question to loveletters@boston.com.Sign up for Meredith’s newsletter at Boston.com/meredith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Third wheeling has long had a bad reputation. If you’re a single person, you may have heard that hanging out with a couple makes you the odd person out. But Meredith doesn’t believe that. She LOVES third wheels – and has third wheeled with plenty of couples. In this episode, Meredith’s sister, Brette, explains how her social life, as a newly divorced person, involves hanging out with a bunch of wonderful couples. Brette says that being a third wheel has broadened her community and enriched her soul. Meredith also interviews Brad and Marco, one of the couples for whom Brette third wheels. They explain why having a shared friend makes their relationship stronger. Consider this episode a guide to being a platonic third, and a love letter to third wheels and the couples who truly believe “the more the merrier.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Must you block your ex on social media? Maybe. Probably. It could make your breakup a lot easier to deal with. In this episode, Meredith talks to Love Letters podcast producer Jazmin Aguilera about Jazmin’s recent breakup. They listen to a classic episode about exes and social media, and talk about what lessons ring true in 2026.Enjoy a discussion about letting go in person and online.Remember, Love Letters is also an anonymous advice column. When you ask a relationship question, you help others wondering the same thing. Email your question to loveletters@boston.com. Sign up for Meredith’s newsletter at Boston.com/meredith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re looking for your stories for the Love Letters podcast. We love all tales of breakups, dating, love, and connection. But for a special upcoming series of the show, we’re looking for stories about COMMUNITY. We want to hear about friends, special acquaintances, or the seemingly inconsequential human ties that make your life better. We want to hear about important, platonic bonds you currently have, important bonds you’ve had (past tense), or meaningful bonds you’d like to form. Because significant others don’t have to be romantic … and sometimes having a strong non-romantic community makes it easier to find and maintain romantic love (if you want it). Tell us your story by filling out our questionnaire at Boston.com/LoveLettersStory. As always, thanks for listening and being a part of the Love Letters community. We can also be reached with questions for the Love Letters advice column at loveletters@boston.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meredith has always been a little afraid of Nantucket. Despite living a fast ferry ride away, she’s only been there twice. As far as Meredith is concerned, the people on Nantucket are fancy, the drama is high, and because it’s an island, it’s hard to escape. For best-selling author Elin Hiderbrand, though, Nantucket represents comfort … even when it’s stifling. Nantucket is where Elin found happiness after leaving New York. It’s what inspired her writing. It’s where she found community – and the best kinds of love. In a live conversation recorded in November, Meredith interviews Elin about Nantucket, what it means to fall in love with a place, and why Elin decided to stop writing about the island after decades of living there. They also talk about the power of books about women and love. Elin novels include “The Perfect Couple,” which became a Netflix show starring Nicole Kidman, and “The Five Star Weekend,” which is slated to be a series starring Jennifer Garner. This talk was part of “Globe Summit,” a two-day Boston Globe event that featured journalists speaking with experts in their fields. Remember, Love Letters is also an anonymous advice column. When you ask a relationship question, you help others wondering the same thing. Email your question to loveletters@boston.com. Sign up for Meredith’s newsletter at Boston.com/meredith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elise, 17, appreciates that she’s growing up in a world that understands what it means to be nonbinary. She just wishes people had an easier time understanding fluidity. Because sometimes Elise feels like a boy, and other times she feels like a girl. Sometimes these changes shift with the seasons. In this episode, Elise explains how her fluidity affects her dating life – because some people who fall for her as a masculine person might be less interested if she becomes more feminine months later. She also reveals she might be a chimera – meaning, as she sees it, she might literally be two people in one.  Elise and Meredith talk it through together. If you love Love Letters, give us all the stars. We love validation. We’re also an anonymous advice question; when you ask a relationship question, you help others wondering the same thing. Email your question to loveletters@boston.com Sign up for Meredith’s newsletter at Boston.com/meredith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nexan Asencio Corado was 20 when he left Guatemala and crossed into the U.S. illegally. He wound up settling in Massachusetts and built a life there. Within a decade, he was working in construction and framing. He fell in love with Christina Toledo and married her. They had two twin sons.  In May, Nexan – who had started the process of seeking lawful permanent residency in the U.S. – was arrested by ICE agents and brought to a Federal Correctional Institution.  From that moment, Nexan and Christina faced important choices about how to stay together, care for each other, and protect their family. In this episode, Boston Globe immigration reporter Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio tells the story of Nexan and Christina, using recordings from their life and phone calls, with their permission. We love feedback and questions at Love Letters – and with this episode, there’s a lot to talk about. After listening, please send your thoughts to loveletters@globe.com. You can always email us a voice memo. We’re also a relationship advice column. You can send your anonymous questions to loveletters@globe.com. To learn more about this story and Love Letters, in general, sign up for the Love Letters newsletter at Boston.com/Meredith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenna is a part-time model.  Sometimes her modeling jobs are unique – think wearing stilettos and popping balloons... or wearing lingerie while feeding ducks. Recently, she's been getting paid to play a damsel in distress. With cars. How does Jenna’s modeling work affect her dating life? It’s not easy. Some people act like they’re comfortable with her job at first - but then they turn out to be judgmental and jealous. In this episode, Jenna tells Meredith the story of how she got into this type of work and how much she's willing (or not) to give up for it. A universal lesson about compromise – and finding people who love us as we are. ___ Remember, Love Letters is an advice column, too! Send questions about human relationships (romantic, friendship, etc.) to loveletters@boston.com. Sign up for the Love Letters newsletter at Boston.com/Meredith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Situationships. Are they all bad? Can you have a meaningful, hopeful, life-changing … situationship? In this episode, Meredith talks to Nicole, a woman who has come full circle on situationships after many years of resenting them. She’s wanted a permanent partner, but maybe situationships aren’t so bad in the meantime. Meredith also has a conversation with word expert Amanda Montell, of the podcasts “Sounds Like a Cult” and “Magical Overthinkers,” who explains how the word “situationship” has evolved, and why it’s one of the best slang portmanteaus around. ___ Love Letters is also an advice column. Send an anonymous relationship question to loveletters@boston.com. Sign up for the Love Letters newsletter at boston.com/meredith . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This time of year is a little unsexy and unromantic to Love Letters host Meredith Goldstein. Why? She doesn't like sports. In the fall, there are so many sports. Football, hockey, and basketball – not to mention that baseball can extend into early November. On this episode, Meredith tries to rally for sports and seeks out new, romantic entry points into fandom. She gets help from two funny experts. One is The Boston Globe’s own Christopher L. Gasper – Meredith’s former roommate – who explains how athletes are fascinating personalities, not unlike characters on television dramas. It’s a conversation that includes talk of “Vanderpump Rules,” how difficult it can be to date a sports writer, and the one sport Chris believes should have a series of romance novels. Meredith also talks to best-selling romance novelist Tessa Bailey, who writes steamy stories about baseball, golf, and hockey. Tessa explains why she's chosen to focus on athletes, how she appreciates fandom in real life, and how anyone – even Meredith – can fall in love with the game. ___ Do you have a story? Send questions about your relationships to loveletters@boston.com.  Sign up for Meredith’s newsletter – with behind-the-scenes pics, giveaways, and other extras – at boston.com/meredith . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Akela Cooper knows dating can be scary. Cooper, a screenwriter known for “M3GAN,” sits down with Meredith to talk about the horror of vulnerability – and opening yourself up to love. Enjoy this episode filled with pop culture references, advice, and thoughts about how sometimes it’s difficult to know whether you’re in a horror story … or just a bad romantic comedy. ___ Do you have a story? Send questions about your relationships to loveletters@boston.com.  Sign up for Meredith’s newsletter – with behind-the-scenes pics, giveaways, and other extras – at boston.com/meredith . Episode art courtesy of Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rory Uphold was in a literal haunted house when she realized her date for the night... might be the real monster. Is she just a "final girl" in love? ___ Do you have a story? Send questions about your relationships to loveletters@boston.com.  Sign up for Meredith’s newsletter – with behind-the-scenes pics, giveaways, and other extras – at boston.com/meredith . Episode art courtesy of AP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Moving is STRESSFUL and movers... are sometimes de facto relationship experts. They help people through their most stressful moments! In this new episode, Meredith talks to a professional mover who has seen it ALL - from makeups to breakups and even a mover fantasy? She also gets real with author Adam Sass who has moved (with his husband) 12 times in 10 years! Is feeling “settled” is ever really possible? ___ Love Letters is also an advice column. Send questions about your relationships (romance, friendship, family, etc.) to ⁠loveletters@boston.com⁠. Sign up for Meredith’s newsletter – with behind-the-scenes pics, giveaways, and other extras – at ⁠boston.com/meredith⁠ (all lowercase). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meet an aspiring Single Mother By Choice. An SMBC, if you will. Kristy has made the decision to go it alone as she tries for her second child. What does it mean to choose children over romance – and why does it seem to matter so much to everyone else? Kristy joins Meredith to tell a story about controlling your own timeline in love and family planning. Meredith's favorite character in this one: Kristy's daughter. ___ Love Letters is also an advice column. Send your question about your relationships (romance, friendship, family, etc.) to ⁠loveletters@boston.com⁠. Sign up for Meredith’s newsletter – with behind-the-scenes pics, giveaways, and other extras – at ⁠boston.com/meredith⁠ (all lowercase). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff Hiller, a 2025 Emmy nominee for “Somebody Somewhere” – is a very funny man. A dramatic man. A theater man. A man with many feelings. What do thoughtful performers do when they get dumped? They make a screen-worthy speech. A proclamation. Like Julia Roberts saying “Choose me!” in “My Best Friend’s Wedding.” Or Conrad saying “I still love you” on “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” In this new episode, Jeff shares a hilarious and intimate story about a breakup in his 20s – and the short speech that followed. He and Meredith discuss the pros and cons of making big proclamations, especially if you’re talking to someone who doesn’t even reciprocate. Expect laughter, lessons, and DRAMA. Love Letters is also an advice column.  Send your question about your relationships (romance, friendship, family, etc.) to loveletters@boston.com. You can also tell Meredith about a speech you made – and how it was received! Sign up for Meredith’s newsletter – with behind-the-scenes pics, giveaways, and other extras – at boston.com/meredith . Episode art courtesy of AP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back in the day, Meredith was kind of … married to her mother. It was “Gilmore Girls”-esque – for better and worse.  That’s why Meredith brought her friend Kumar on Love Letters in 2022 – to talk about how having a partnership with a parent can change your love life. Kumar was kind of married to his mom, too. This is a classic Love Letters episode – with an update from Kumar about how how grief looks over time, and how being on the podcast might have helped him find a new kind of love. Listen and enjoy. Love Letters is also an advice column! Send your questions (we’ll keep them anonymous) to loveletters@boston.com. Get behind-the-scenes podcast news, giveaways, and more by signing up for the Love Letters newsletter at boston.com/Meredith (all lowercase). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Love Letters is back with new episodes Sept. 9! You’ll hear guests tell REAL stories about finding love … dating more honestly … planning for a family … navigating big moves with a spouse … getting over breakups (with lots of laughter) … and the importance of family and friends. Get ready to feel your feelings. (Don’t be scared – we’ll be there with you.) Find Love Letters wherever you get podcasts. To get all the news, giveaways, and behind-the-scenes scoop, sign up for the Love Letters newsletter at boston.com/meredith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summer camp love is for kids. Unless you reach out to your camp crush as an adult and fall in love with them all over again.  Today, hear a classic Love Letters podcast episode about two people who reconnected after decades. Find out where they are now – with new commentary from the original storyteller. Maybe you'll realize the love you've been searching for ... is in your sleep-away camp directory. Remember, Love Letters is also an advice column! Send your anonymous questions about single life, married life, breakup life, and friendship life to loveletters@boston.com OR by visiting Boston.com/loveletters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, two executives were caught cheating – exposed via Jumbotron! – at a Coldplay concert.  It happened at Gillette Stadium, about 40 minutes from Meredith’s house. The incident – and its viral aftermath – reminded Meredith of a classic episode of Love Letters … the one about a workplace romance that involved a woman in HR falling for an employee.  Join Meredith for a new take on the story – with thoughts on Coldplaygate.  Remember, Love Letters is also an advice column. If you want Meredith to answer a question about relationships (anonymously!), email loveletters@boston.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Five years ago, in the summer of 2020, Meredith Goldstein and the Love Letters team were in lockdown because of the pandemic, making the podcast from separate closets and basements.  In their personal lives, they were asking: how can we remain isolated without losing support from community?  How can live with loved ones …. without getting sick of them? They found answers by interviewing two people who were already experts in being alone, together: Glenn and Kim Schryver, who fell in love and chose an remote life as caretakers of the Grizzly Reservoir. Meredith revisits this episode and its meaning, five years later. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This season, we’ve tried to answer one big question: Can people change for the better? The answer has been complicated. Basically: sometimes. In our season finale, we recap what we learned. We also visit a magical place called Butterfly Hollow, where caterpillars change into butterflies in real time. What can human learns from a creature that has to change to survive? Plenty, says an expert. Join us for an episode that brings metaphor to life.  ___ Love Letters is taking stories for next season! To come on the show, email loveletters@boston.com with "my story" in the subject line. For giveaways, behind-the-scenes photos of guests, and extra commentary, sign up for Meredith's newsletter at boston.com/meredith (all lowercase). To leave Meredith a voicemail about any episode of Love Letters, call  401-484-0590. To send Meredith an anonymous question about relationships, go to boston.com/loveletters and hit "send letter." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meredith’s sister, Brette, has told a beautiful story about falling in love with her husband. But sometimes the narrative needs to change. In an emotional episode about partnership, sisterhood, and community, Meredith and Brette dissect the meaning of marriage – and how to make sure you’re getting what you need to be healthy. Enjoy this one. We loved recording it. Want to share your relationship story on Love Letters? Have thoughts about this episode? Email ⁠loveletters@boston.com⁠ or leave a voicemail at 401-484-0590. Read the Love Letters advice column or send a letter at ⁠boston.com/loveletters⁠. Sign up for Meredith's newsletter at ⁠boston.com/meredith⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you love meet-cutes? Then tune in to this episode – because Meredith would quite literally not exist without the adorable, rom-com love stories in it. Her family is FULL of meet cutes... and in this episode from Season 2 of Love Letters, you’ll get the details. We’re re-running this classic – updated with some new thoughts – to prepare you for next week’s story, which is about how the best love stories can change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She’s American-Israeli. He’s Palestinian. They fell in love and navigated a universe of complications. Then, in 2023, a new war. Conflict, violence, and devastation rocked the world. Echos of trauma from decades past. Mya Guarnieri tells the story of how she met her now ex-husband, fell in love, and, in 2023, became each other's best support system, as exes, when they needed each other most. ___ Love Letters is taking stories for next season! To come on the show, email loveletters@boston.com with "my story" in the subject line. For giveaways, behind-the-scenes photos of guests, and extra commentary, sign up for Meredith's newsletter at boston.com/meredith (all lowercase). To leave Meredith a voicemail about any episode of Love Letters, call  401-484-0590. To send Meredith an anonymous question about relationships, go to boston.com/loveletters and hit "send letter." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sadie Dingfelder was in the grocery store one day. She went to her husband to ask him why he was buying something new. Then she realized… this man was not her husband. Sadie was eventually diagnosed with face blindness. How did that change her perception of herself? How did it change her marriage? Sadie explains to Meredith in this funny, fascinating, and sweet episode about how we see the people we love. For giveaways, behind-the-scenes photos of guests, and extra commentary, sign up for Meredith's newsletter at boston.com/meredith (all lowercase). To leave Meredith a voicemail about any episode of Love Letters, call  401-484-0590. To send Meredith an anonymous question about relationships, go to boston.com/loveletters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael's anxiety got so bad it was starting to ruin his marriage. That’s why he flew to Oregon for a psilocybin treatment that wound up changing his life. But with change ... comes more questions. Michael and his husband explain how mushrooms gave them a new perspective … on everything. Listen and take a trip to remember. Want to share your relationship story on Love Letters? Have thoughts about this episode? Email loveletters@boston.com or leave a voicemail at 401-484-0590. Read the Love Letters advice column or send a letter at boston.com/loveletters. Sign up for Meredith's newsletter at boston.com/meredith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re sharing a special episode from the Signal Award-winning podcast No Small Endeavor, a show that explores what it means to live a good life through insightful conversations with thought leaders across various disciplines. Hosted by Lee C. Camp, No Small Endeavor engages with some of the most compelling voices in philosophy, social justice, and the arts, like renowned happiness expert Gretchen Rubin, Hidden Brain podcast host Shankar Vedantam, and New York Times bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell. In this episode, Lee sits down with Dr. Alexandra Solomon, a leading expert on love and relationships, to discuss relational self-awareness—the key to building healthy, fulfilling connections. Together, they unpack the importance of self-knowledge in navigating love, how to handle relationship challenges with grace, and the role of curiosity in deepening emotional intimacy. No Small Endeavor is a must-listen for anyone drawn to thought-provoking discussions on personal growth and connection. Tune in to more episodes and follow the podcast here: https://lnk.to/D28Fv3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever heard of perimenopause? Meredith has! So has Eileen, who tells a story about how aging changed the course of her relationships for the better. This is a story about how an evolving older body … isn’t so bad. Sometimes the best love stories come later. Join Meredith and Eileen for a story about marriage, divorce, droughts, long-distance dating, and happiness in unexpected places. Also: sign up for Meredith's newsletter at Boston.com/Meredith to get the inside scoop on episodes, guests, and issues Meredith sees in the Love Letters advice column. To leave Love Letters a message – or a question – call 401-484-0590. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Economist and Wharton professor Katy Milkman has spent a lot of time figuring out why people decide to change – and how they actually do it. Through a great conversation about everything from friendships to the power of “Twilight,” Milkman gives Meredith an honest take on what we can expect from ourselves, and how we can help others evolve ... when they want to. Meet Milkman, author of "How To Change." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part 2 of a two-parter about video games and change, Meredith talks to Celeste Sangiorgio, a psychologist and researcher who thinks about video games a lot. Celeste happens to be co-creating a video game that’s meant to help us navigate relationships.  Join this conversation about “The Last of Us,” “Cupid Parasite,” and a bunch of games that focus on love. Meredith will also talk about hew new favorite, a game about DADDIES. Even you non-gamers will enjoy. ALSO, we’re some episodes into the season. Do you have thoughts about the stories we’ve shared about how people have changed? Have you learned anything? Found anything surprising? Do you have your own thoughts about change – or stories you want to share about how you made positive change in your own life? Call and leave a message! You can be anonymous if you want. Call 401-484-0590. Tell us anything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For Anthony Ureña, video games are more than simple entertainment or a way to pass the time. Games have actually changed him, he says. They’ve taught him who he is. They’ve shown him how to take the best next steps. Through a story about dating, loss, love, and resilience, Anthony explains how games have seen him through the most important relationship transitions in his life.  Let’s all Pokemon Go! with him. (And Pac-Man with him. And Final Fantasy with him. And ... you get the point.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Love can be addictive.  When Heather Mason leaves her relatively happy marriage to follow her heart, she has no idea that the mysterious South African photographer she’s following will teach her so much about herself. This is a story about a woman who learns she can’t change others, but can be happier and healthier on her own. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This season, we’ve been talking about how to change. We’ve wondered: can a big move really change you? Or are you the same inside, just with new, prettier scenery? Frances Mayes, author of “Under the Tuscan Sun,” has opinions about this. Decades ago, she moved to Italy and changed her life. After she wrote about her experience, other people followed her lead. Almost 30 years after "Under the Tuscan Sun" was published (and about 20 years after the movie), Mayes still sees many strangers stopping by her home in Cortona. They leave notes of appreciation and small gifts, making a small altar at the bottom of her driveway. They praise her for inspiring them to embrace change and find beauty in the world. In this episode, Meredith talks to Mayes about the power of geography, her novel “A Great Marriage,” and whether she believes real, internal change is possible by shifting your surroundings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meredith sits down with Dr. Steven Hyman – a brain expert at The Broad Institute – for a talk about the meaning of change … and whether it’s actually possible. Are people capable of change – in life and relationships? If so, how? Dr. Hyman explains the plastic brain, how it works, how eating a great sandwich in Chicago can be the best thing ever, and why Meredith once thought she looked like Reese Witherspoon. We also catch up with a very special Love Letters couple. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can moving to a new place change you? Consider the story of Kelly, from Western Australia, who never quite fit in around her small hometown – before, during, or after her marriage. She says she was the victim of Tall Poppy Syndrome; as she strived to grow taller and more beautiful, everyone wanted to chop her down. What was the fix? Moving to one of the most beautiful places in the world (Italy). Kelly explains how leaving town changed her – and her relationship with her ex-husband – in this episode about how geography affects our ability to be our best selves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her late 20s, Funmi Adejobi was stuck in fight-or-flight mode. She’d been caregiving for her mom after a medical emergency – and every phone call felt like it would bring bad news. Forget dating. Funmi could barely relax on her own. But then … she took a clown class, which reminded her how to PLAY. How to be silly and ridiculous. That's when everything changed. Hear Funmi’s story about how she became a happy clown – one who’s open to love – on the season premiere of the Love Letters podcast. This whole season, we’re trying to answer one big question: Can people change? Funmi did. Let’s all learn how, together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Season 10 of Love Letters, host and advice columnist Meredith Goldstein explores whether people can change... in life, love, and relationships. Can old dogs learn new tricks? Can a troubled relationship improve over time? Can we be better to each other - and ourselves? Season 10 launches January 14. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last March, Somerville passed a first-of-its-kind ordinance protecting non-monogamous couples from discrimination. In a ‘Love Letters’ live podcast recording, host and columnist Meredith Goldstein interviews a few of the changemakers who made it happen about what this ordinance and other public policy changes might mean for the future of relationships in Massachusetts and beyond.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A bonus episode from Boston Globe podcast Say More with Shirley Leung. Sex educator Emily Nagoski didn’t set out to be an expert on stress. But it turns out, stress is affecting peoples’ sex lives, big time. After helping her sister Amelia through two life-threatening burnout episodes, the two got together to write a book about the science of stress and how it leads to burnout. For them, the journey to understanding stress became a deeper quest for sisterhood and meaning. Emily talks to Shirley about completing the stress cycle, the problem with self-care, and the connections between stress, sleep, and orgasm. Email us at Saymore@globe.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Love Letters is getting ready for next season  — and it’s going to be good! You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You might move to Italy. It’ll all be explained. In the meantime, can you help us better ourselves? Please take this survey. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LLetters I wrote most of it myself! We want to know how to better entertain, serve, and give you *great* stuff. It’ll be quick, I promise. Again, find it here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LLetters See you soon. - Meredith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this guest episode from the podcast “Last Day,” host Stephanie Wittels Wachs shares the story of Brooke, who had the best and worst days of her life within a couple months of each other. The whiplash from the bliss of her wedding day to the reality of mourning rocked Brooke to her core. She had to learn how to treasure the memories while sitting in the worst suffering she’d ever felt. Find more episodes of “Last Day” at lemonadamedia.com/show/lastday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the final episode of a season all about help, Meredith sits down with students from the writing and publishing organization 826 Boston, which just released a new book — called  “What if the World Needs You?”— that’s full of advice and life lessons for young people. Also, Meredith’s producers surprise her with a collection of stories from her friends and loved ones about times she has helped them in ways large and small. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As The Boston Globe’s travel writer, Chris Muther has gotten very good at navigating the planet alone. But he wasn’t always this way. It took years, through multiple relationships, for him to gain the independence necessary to thrive on his own — and be a better partner. How he got to this more confident place is a long, winding story that involves some of the most beautiful places in the world. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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 or leave us a voicemail at 401-484-0590 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

Meredith sits down with Laura Stassi, host of the podcast “Dating While Gray.” They talk about what Meredith learned from her parents’ divorce, how she found a partner during the pandemic, and growing wiser with age. Also, hear an excerpt of a “Dating While Gray” episode about a widower helping his daughter with dating. Find more episodes of “Dating While Gray” at datingwhilegray.com. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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

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

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

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. Just as they were celebrating a historic NBA championship, they got some very scary medical news about their son. Where did Shannon turn for help? The answer may surprise you. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. In Part One, we talk to Jordan Whitlock, the wife of Red Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock. Jordan, who has a PhD in genetics, had to learn how to balance her own career with her husband’s, and how to deal with the loneliness that sets in after many weeks apart. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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