The ones who are turned off are not right for me — “So…tell me about your ex.” I don’t start every date with this. Sometimes it comes up in the beginning, sometimes at the end. Mostly, we discuss it during the course of our conversation. When I go out on a first date with someone, we naturally talk about our lives and…

The stigma of being spouse-less and child-less — “We have a seat for you in the other room,” the host announced. I continued to fix my Thanksgiving dinner plate, holding my napkin underneath the plate as I clutched my utensils in my other hand. I filled my plate with as much greens and potatoes as I could, with…

The “D” word can have varied reactions — I don’t know why I dropped the “D” word. This was a friendly family event with couples and kids. We were enjoying a nice meal and talking about our lives, work, and plans for the summer. I didn’t know some of the couples who were visiting my friend’s home for…

Unless you want the bitter and brutal truth — “Ahhh…what a lovely wedding.” The millennial crooned that she had a wonderful time at her friend’s wedding over the weekend. “The backdrop was beautiful. The sun was setting when they exchanged their vows. It gave me so many ideas for my own wedding.” “Wait a second,” a colleague jumped in…

The upsides of divorce — I committed malpractice in my first marriage. I didn’t make time for the relationship and found lots of things to do at work. I had work events, social events, and community events that I attended. I prioritized all aspects of my life except for the one at home. While she…

Let go of the soulmate goal to find a happy and healthy relationship. — One email changed my life. A random email from a stranger across the world. I could have deleted it but who sends emails out of the blue? Our universities had newly started email service and it was doubtful if strangers just emailed each other for no reason at all. She…

A story about a radiant flower in the mud — Our relationship was defined either by loud arguments or pin-drop silence. We would argue until one of us broke down and didn’t have anything to say. Or have big blow-up arguments and then remain silent without talking to each other. We never gave in on arguments and never fought fair…

I learned an expensive lesson on our date — We were the last ones sitting in the restaurant. We chatted about life and philosophy, love and romance, and of all things, dating. She couldn’t find time to date being a resident doctor. She was busy every day of the week and her working schedule was erratic. Her work and…

Dating wisdom from Indian aunties, matchmakers, and the East — Dating will make you want to stay single. With all the games and disrespectful behavior online, you don’t even feel like it’s worth your time. Between ghosting, catfishing, breadcrumbing and flat-out ignoring you, any attempt at dating will not only ruin your desire to date but might just make you…