At 82 years old, TikToker Linda (@nextwithlinda) has been through a lot in life, growing, changing, and healing over the many years she has spent on Earth.
She’s talking about the biggest mistakes she has made in her life in the hopes that young people can learn from her and avoid making the same mistakes.
“The advice that I would give to my granddaughter, my daughter, or anyone else in a relationship that you feel is floundering and that you would really like to save: it is never the big moments that save a relationship. It’s the tiny daily choices that we make,” Linda said.
She has been divorced four times, which is not something she’s proud of, but each of those relationships has taught her valuable lessons about human connection.
According to Linda, the thing that kills marriages or relationships in general is failing to communicate when something bothers you.
You might think the issue is no big deal and decide not to bring it up. However, those feelings end up building and building into resentment, leading you to create a narrative in your head about how the relationship isn’t working and that you don’t even like each other anymore.
“But it really isn’t conflict that is the problem, it’s disconnection,” said Linda.
“Two people slowly drifting apart, living together, but not feeling together. And the one thing that could save those relationships, if that’s what you really want to do, is to repair faster than you disconnect.”
Do it sooner rather than later, before you make up a whole story in your mind about how you think you’ve married the wrong person.
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Love will die from a lack of connection. It’s a lot easier to communicate than deal with a broken heart and a divorce.
Many TikTok users praised her for being vulnerable and sharing her story. It just goes to show that growth does not stop with age.
“I’ve been divorced three times. I’m with you, but I am oddly proud of it. It means I walked away rather than stay and suffer. Life has never been better,” commented one user.
“This is so true. The silent holding things in and lack of authentic connection is the true killer,” stated another.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned in this breakup that I am in right now is what you’re saying: Relationships die in the conversations never had,” wrote a third.
Overall, Linda has earned the kind of clarity that only time and experience can give someone. Embracing mistakes and learning from them is the only way to achieve self-improvement.
Linda can rest peacefully, knowing that she has owned every chapter of her life. Plus, she still looks great for 82!
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
