There’s something no one tells you about dating after divorce.

It’s not harder because you’re older.
It’s not harder because the apps are exhausting.
It’s harder because you’re no longer willing to pretend.

The holidays have a way of magnifying everything—our joy, our stress, our expectations… and yes, our loneliness. If you’re going through a divorce or navigating your first holiday season without your kids, the emptiness can feel louder than the Christmas music in every store.