Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1681 - What Is True Love? A Lifetime of Lessons on Marriage, Loss, and the Stories We Leave Behind

On The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian explores one of life’s most enduring questions: What is true love?Can heartbreak become the source of great art? What separates a healthy partnership from unhealthy attachment? And what can decades spent witnessing the realities of marriage, divorce, and human relationships teach us about love, forgiveness, and resilience?Brian is joined by acclaimed Canadian author and former matrimonial lawyer Darlene Madott to discuss her moving new collection of linked short stories, Closing Ceremonies and Dying Times.In Part 1, Darlene shares the inspiration behind her collection, which explores the aftermath of love—the joy, betrayal, heartbreak, humour, and hope found in human relationships.The conversation examines why true love should support and empower rather than control, the difference between genuine partnership and obsessive attachment, and how her parents’ remarkable 67-year marriage influenced her understanding of commitment and devotion.Darlene also discusses the powerful novella Dying Times, which follows a senior lawyer facing the end of life and discovering what truly matters beyond professional success.In Part 2, Brian and Darlene discuss her extraordinary transition from practicing matrimonial law for 35 years to becoming a full-time author. She reflects on how her legal career shaped her storytelling, the lessons she learned from witnessing countless marriages and divorces, and why it is never too late to pursue a lifelong dream.This is a thoughtful and deeply human conversation about love, loss, relationships, creativity, reinvention, and the stories we carry throughout our lives.A reminder that even through heartbreak and endings, there can still be meaning, compassion, and hope.