Love Letters

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

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

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

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

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

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