Love Letters

In our last episode, we learned how loving a boy band can help us love each other.We told the story of Theresa, a 50-something New Kids on the Block fan, who got a life-saving medical assist from Christina, another fan, who stepped up for a stranger simply because they both love NKOTB.In this follow-up episode, Bryant University assistant professor Melanie Maimon – who studies the psychology of belonging – explains how being part of a community of fans can help us develop relationships. If we love something (music, art, books, etc.) and are around likeminded others, we might be on our way to forming important platonic and romantic connections.Maimon herself is a Fall Out Boy fan. When she’s at a concert, she assumes the best of people around her – like she’s may have found her group As Fall Out Boy might put it, “I was just an only child of the universe … and then I found you.” (If you know that lyric, you're a real one.)Meredith and Maimon also get into how lonely it can feel when fans of the same artist don’t agree with each other about everything. (A timely conversation with news about Ed Sheeran, Macklemore, etc.)This episode is part of a special Love Letters series about all kinds of love. We wanted to tell these stories because without our platonic and community connections, romance is less healthy and fun. This “All Kinds of Love” series is supported by the Greater Good Science Center’s “Spreading Love Through the Media” initiative, funded by the John Templeton Foundation.Remember, Love Letters is an advice column. You can send anonymous questions about friendship, dating, marriage, divorce, messy breakups, dating fatigue, situationships, etc. through our anonymous form.Also remember: we now have a Friends With Benefits program. You can get ad-free episodes, a bonus episode a month, extended cuts of episodes, and Love Letters swag by signing up at loveletters.supportingcast.fm.
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Can boy bands fans save the world? Maybe. They can certainly save each other. In this episode, we meet Theresa Crockett, of California, who needed a kidney and found hope – and a lifeline – through her love of New Kids on the Block. This is a feel-good story about love between strangers (both of whom are “Blockheads”). It’s also about supportive spouses, family members, and a guy named Donnie Wahlberg.

Read more about their story here: ⁠https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/09/15/magazine/new-kids-nkotb-fans-kidney-transplant/ ⁠

And learn more about kidney donation here:

⁠⁠https://www.uclahealth.org/programs/core-kidney⁠⁠

Our “Friends with Benefits” members get an extended cut of this episode – and one extra episode a month! And no ads! Join the group here. We appreciate your support.

Also, Love Letters is an advice column; send your anonymous questions about relationships to loveletters@boston.com or through this anonymous form. When you ask a question, you help others feel less alone.

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We at Love Letters want you to know about Kelly Ripa's podcast called Let's Talk Off Camera. On the show, Kelly dives deep into her life, candidly discussing her marriage, family, career, and how she manages to juggle it all in the public eye. Give it a listen, and we hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Meredith has wondered: why do so many people despise their in-laws? Specifically … their mother-in-laws?To explore the topic, Meredith welcomes Janice Page, who tells a story about her mother-in-law, Yu Ying.Janice explains how she and her mother-in-law became close, despite not speaking the same language, and how they stayed connected over decades. Meredith and Janice discuss how to see extended family, and what relatives of partners can teach us about ourselves.

Want extra new episodes? Join our Friends With Benefits club by visiting ⁠globe.com/loveletters/friendswithbenefits⁠.

You’ll get an ad-free experience, an extra episode a month, and a Love Letters journal (if you join for a year). And you'll even be able to hear an extended cut of this episode.

Thank you for supporting our show. We want to support you right back.

Remember, Love Letters is also an advice column. Ask Meredith a question about your relationship life by emailing ⁠loveletters@boston.com⁠.

Exclusive Coveron discount: : https://coveron.com/LOVELETTERS or use the code LOVELETTERS at checkout.

🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code LOVELETTERS at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/LOVELETTERS ⛵

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We at Love Letters want you to know about Kelly Ripa's podcast called Let's Talk Off Camera. On the show, Kelly dives deep into her life, candidly discussing her marriage, family, career, and how she manages to juggle it all in the public eye. Give it a listen, and we hope you enjoy it as much as I do.