I’m sharing this TikTok video by Laura Byrnes that a dear friend shared with me. (In case the link scrolls to her other videos – its the one captioned “@replying to happy father and husband.”) It’s provocative. Not sure men will appreciate it much. But it’s gotten 800k views and 200k likes, so I think she’s hit on something. Let’s discuss and explore together. Start a conversation below!

I’m a divorced, single women in midlife. I’ve worked so hard for my independence and the life I have built. I have, though, been struggling with the questions Laura raises as I’ve been dating.

Much dating advice, I have found, starts with the premise that the one thing missing in my life is someone to wake up to every morning. Am I missing that — every morning? Or, the dating advisors tell me: What I really need/want is someone to treat me like a queen, translate — to take care of me. Do I really?

Sure i want love and companionship — very much actually. Hell, I even wrote and published a romance series “A Midlife Romance” about a couple in midlife — the relatable part of the book is how complicated midlife romance is, but it has a happy ending (as required in the genre LOL). In my own life, romantic relationships often seem to come at the expense of independence, self-care, my own needs. Am I missing something that I need to know? Please share your thoughts and experiences.