It's the spring equinox, and something shifts. Not just in the season — in the direction of the podcast. Karl opens with something his wife said to him that he couldn't brush past. Four words, quietly devastating, that cracked open a conversation he didn't know he needed to have. It's not a crisis story. It's a human one.

Matt and Karl use this episode to launch a 12-week season on relationships — with our partners, our families, the world, and ourselves. They start where it's most immediate and most personal: the menopause. Not as experts. Not with answers. As two midlife men trying to show up better for the women around them, and honest about how much they still don't know.

In this episode, Matt and Karl explore:

• Why the spring equinox felt like the right moment to commit to a season-long theme
• Karl's blog post about his wife Nicole — and the conversation it started
• What it means for men to "hold space" without making it about themselves
• Matt's own writing on perimenopause — and why every word felt loaded
• The history of damaging medical language around menopause, and why it still matters
• The difference between managing change and celebrating it
• What Karl learned from speaking with pelvic health experts Sandy Hilton and Hillary Lewin
• How to be present for something you can never fully understand

This is a season about relationships. It starts here — messy, real, and worth showing up for.

Click here to download our FREE Menopause PDF handout and/or the audio guide.

The Clearing — a space for men navigating questions without easy answers.

We would love to hear from you, with your practices, and/or any questions you might have around self care.

Email us at matt@theclearing.life

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