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Gray Divorce: Why It's Rising and How to Reignite Love in Midlife

Episode Title: Gray Divorce: Why It’s Rising and How to Reignite Love in Midlife
Podcast: Midlife Marriage Mastery
Host: Lisa Kneller

💡 Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and eye-opening episode, Lisa explores one of the most overlooked trends in modern relationships—Gray Divorce, the rising rate of divorce among couples over 50. She sheds light on why so many long-term marriages unravel just when life should feel more peaceful and stable, and what couples can do to rediscover love, connection, and joy in midlife.

Drawing from her own 39-year marriage and experience as a marriage coach, Lisa shares honest insights into why love can fade—not because it disappears, but because attention and awareness drift away. Through practical tools and deep reflection, she invites listeners to reimagine what’s possible in their relationships and to see midlife not as an ending, but as an awakening.

🪞 Key Insights

  • Gray Divorce Is Rising: Divorce rates for couples over 50 have nearly doubled since 1990. But many of these separations could be prevented with greater awareness and intentional reconnection.
  • The “Quiet Drift”: Most couples don’t experience a dramatic breakdown—they simply drift apart through years of distraction, resentment, and lack of curiosity.
  • Falling Out of Awareness, Not Love: Love is an active practice of attention, curiosity, and appreciation. When we stop noticing our partner, we begin to lose connection.
  • The Invitation of Midlife: This season offers a sacred opportunity to awaken, reflect, and recreate the love you truly desire.

🔑 3 Ways to Reignite Love in Midlife

  1. Start with Curiosity, Not Criticism
    Shift from “Why don’t you?” to “What could make this easier for us?” Curiosity opens connection where judgment closes it.
  2. Rebuild Emotional Safety
    Listen without fixing. Validate feelings. Say, “I see why that hurt.” When safety returns, intimacy follows.
  3. Do the Inner Work
    As Lisa writes in her book The Inner Work of Love: 10 Understandings for Lasting Relationships, true transformation begins within. When you shift your thoughts, energy, and presence, your relationship transforms with you.

❤️ Lisa’s Reflection

Midlife love isn’t over—it’s evolving.
The question isn’t “Can we go back?” but “What can we create now?”
Women and men in their 50s and 60s can rediscover tenderness, joy, and deep connection—even after years of distance.

🧭 Resources & Mentions

✨ Call to Action

If you’re feeling disconnected or questioning your marriage, know that it’s not too late. Midlife can be the season your love awakens.
Visit LisaKnellerCoaching.com to book your free Discovery Call and begin mastering the art of love in midlife.

🔎 SEO Description

In this episode of Midlife Marriage Mastery, Lisa Kneller explores the rise of gray divorce and how couples over 50 can reignite love, rebuild emotional safety, and rediscover connection through curiosity and self-awareness. Includes practical tips and insights from The Inner Work of Love.