Ep. 76 Dating After Divorce (& Death): The Messy, Healing, Heart-Opening Truth | with Ryan

This one feels extra close to home. As Thanksgiving rolls in, Ryan and I cozy up to talk about dating after divorce, the quiet that follows shared holidays, and what it’s really like to rebuild love in your 40s. From last year’s lonely Thanksgiving to navigating real-life quirks, triggers, blended-family chaos, and leaving the honeymoon phase behind, we go there. Honestly, it’s some of our most real conversations yet.

✨ We talked about:

• Dating after divorce when you’ve “lived a lot”
• Navigating the quiet, the loneliness & the healing
• What shifting out of the honeymoon phase really feels like
• How we communicate through triggers, tension & growth
• The messy, beautiful truth about modern relationships

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Watch the full episode on YouTube here or head to https://www.youtube.com/@RealHeidiPowell.

Here are the key moments from the episode:

0:00 Why Dating After Divorce Feels So Different

3:12 The Thanksgiving That Broke Me Open

6:01 Why We Stay in Unhealthy Relationships

9:18 The Side of Me Most People Never See

12:27 Why I Crave Deep, Real Connection

15:06 Feeling “Different” My Whole Life

18:10 When Someone Finally Sees the Real You

21:05 The DM I Never Replied To

24:08 Why This Relationship Feels Different

27:01 Leaving the Honeymoon Phase

30:22 The Miscommunication That Taught Us a Lot

33:42 How We Process Emotions So Differently

36:29 Why Real Life Feels Like a Milestone

39:41 The Hardest Part of Dating After Divorce

42:53 What Healthy Conflict Really Looks Like

46:06 Choosing Your Hard in Relationships

49:40 Why Communication Matters More Than Chemistry

53:11 What Surprised Us About Social Media

56:44 The Emotional Crash After Big Life Events

1:00:29 When Stress Shows Up in Your Relationship

1:03:52 How Honest Talks Build Real Safety

1:07:10 Understanding Your Triggers in Love

1:10:31 Fighting with Each Other, Not Against Each Other

1:13:02 When Speaking Up Helps and When It Doesn’t

1:16:15 What Healthy Love Looks Like Now

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