One20 Tuesday

It’s the Season of LOVE

Actually, it’s always the season of LOVE.

We fall into it, fall out of it, question it, deny it, struggle with it, embrace it, cry over it, and plan our lives around it. Love—whether we have it, want it, or can’t stand it—is a topic, a feeling, and yes, often a distraction that occupies a big part of our everyday lives. It consumes our thoughts, our energy, and no matter how much we try to make sense of it, we’re always asking: Where am I with love? So, let’s dig in and get our hands a little dirty.

Over the past summer, I’ve noticed a shift. Friends, family, clients, couples—and yes, even me—have been wrestling with love more deeply than usual. We’re in the midst of an energetic transformation. Whether you believe in cosmic shifts or not, something is stirring. Relationships of all kinds—not just romantic ones—are being challenged and reshaped. While COVID may have intensified it, this change began long before. The isolation, the closeness, the pause—it forced many of us to confront our relationships and ourselves.

What did I observe? For some, relationships grew stronger. Others broke up, got divorced, made babies (so many twins and triplets!), or added on to their homes. Some went a little cray-cray and some dove deep into self-work and came out more grounded, more enlightened—cue the spiritual music swelling in the background.

Here’s the thing: we’re all evolving. Some are embracing the flow, others are resisting—and that resistance makes it harder, not just for them, but for those around them. Like it or not, we’re different now. You don’t live through a pandemic, loss, grief, birth, breakups, and (God help us) home renovations and come out the same. And you shouldn’t. But there’s one thing that remains unchanged: LOVE.

No matter what happens, we never lose the capacity to love. Our partners, our kids, our pets, our homes, our careers—even our hairstyles (there’s nothing like a haircut you love). Love persists. It renews itself constantly. You may wonder why I’m going on about this. Simple: I’m surrounded by it every day. I hear stories about love, and the lack of it, all day long. I’m a kind of sherpa on the road to feelings.

Let me tell you a story—short-ish, I promise.

A dear friend of mine, 58, had closed up shop on love for a long time. Divorce, heartbreak, loss, and life changes pushed her into focusing on her career instead. She became amazing at her job (a senior project manager) but lost that spark only romantic love can ignite. This summer, with a little push from friends (myself included), she decided to give love another shot. And guess what? She met someone.

It was promising. He seemed wonderful. They talked, laughed, connected, dreamed, kissed. After years of being shut off, she was allowing herself to feel hope again. She even vetted him—he passed with flying colors. Then, two months in, it all stopped. Abruptly. He said he was “confused” and stopped calling. A final text: “I’m sorry. I can’t do this anymore. Please don’t be mad at me.”

No conversation. No closure. Just silence.

She was heartbroken. And not because it was some epic love story—but because she showed up sincerely and got nothing in return. No one likes being ghosted, especially not by a grown adult who claimed he was ready. She blamed herself at first, wondering if she missed the signs. But eventually, she realized the truth: she did nothing wrong. She was honest, kind, and brave enough to open herself up. That’s what love calls us to do.

Love doesn’t come with a handbook or a timeline. It happens when it happens. And yes, even at 58, your heart can be broken just as easily as at 16. One of my young clients said recently, “I can’t wait until I get older so people you fall in love with can’t hurt you anymore.” I didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth.

My friend’s story isn’t unique. But it’s a reminder: love asks us to be vulnerable. And that’s a risk. We can’t control it, predict it, or protect ourselves completely from its ups and downs. But we can embrace it anyway.

So, as we move into this season—yes, autumn, with its colors and sweaters and shifting light—take in the energy around you. Reflect on the summer’s lessons. Feel the momentum of change. And above all, stay open to LOVE, in all its forms: romantic, platonic, familial, and most importantly, the love you give yourself.

That’s where real love begins.

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P.S. I know I went over 800 words. Can’t help it. I’m just really excited about blogging!