Personal

40 things I've learned in 40 years

There's still so much to figure out, but as a 40-year-old woman, this is what I've learned so far.

Feb 25 • Alexis Mera Damen

Dating after divorce

My answer to a reader's question about dating after divorce, plus a Q&A with couples and sex therapist Kate Engler.

Feb 10 • Alexis Mera Damen

On the relief of getting older

Let's get philosophical together!

Feb 4 • Alexis Mera Damen

365 days of journaling

Prompts to help you notice, reflect, and develop a daily journaling habit.

Feb 3 • Alexis Mera Damen

I'm motherless, now what?

Making sense of things in real time, or at least trying.

Jan 29 • Alexis Mera Damen

Writing through grief: the clean-as-you-go approach

"Writing along the way keeps you from shoving all those unidentifiable emotions under the rug."

Dec 6, 2025 • Alexis Mera Damen and Edie Morgan

Not another gift guide

More handwritten letters, please.

Dec 3, 2025 • Alexis Mera Damen

3 simple tips to get your personal essays published

Plus screenshots of my successful submissions.

Nov 19, 2025 • Alexis Mera Damen

The #1 most important thing I learned in my 30s (+ an interview with my dad)

Older and wiser, hopefully!

Nov 12, 2025 • Alexis Mera Damen

I thought divorce at 33 meant failure—until I reinvented my life in Amsterdam

"I felt like a new person, free from expectations and from the life I once thought I wanted."

Nov 5, 2025 • Alexis Mera Damen

My husband dumped me on FaceTime

"I was sitting on the living room floor of my Brooklyn apartment when I answered the call... I noticed he had removed his wedding ring."

Oct 22, 2025 • Alexis Mera Damen

The first time I fed my mom

An essay about parenting a parent and learning to love whatever version of them is still here.

Aug 26, 2025 • Alexis Mera Damen

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