Michèle Heffron and her friend Erin raise glasses of champagne at Lapérouse in Paris to celebrate Erin's 60th birthday.

Where It All Might Lead

November 08, 2026•4 min read

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."

~ Thornton Wilder

Where It All Might Lead

On a hot day this past August, I was out for a walk when a text came in from a dear friend who lives part-time in Paris with his wife, Erin, another very dear friend of mine.

It was simple. Hi M, you know, Erin's 60th birthday is coming up, and I want to surprise her on November 3rd with a party in Paris. I wondered if you might come over for the surprise. I'll book a boutique hotel for you down the street from the apartment. Let me know.

An invitation to Paris, right out of the blue! Well, how could I pass it up? Two of my dearest friends, in my favorite place in the world.

So I'm writing to you from a lovely little hotel on the Île Saint-Louis, the quiet island in the middle of the Seine. As it turned out, the surprise came a day early. I saw Erin yesterday, and we attended mass together at Notre Dame. Tonight is the big night, and we're celebrating at Lapérouse, one of the oldest restaurants in Paris, in a room full of people who love her.

What seems like a million years ago, when I was going through my first divorce, I moved into an old Victorian house in West Seattle with my daughter, who wasn't quite three. I was a single mother with a demanding job and a beat-up car, and across the street lived a lovely young couple who hadn't been married long.

We became friends, and we stayed friends long after none of us lived on that street anymore. We've shared birthdays and holidays and the trials and tribulations of raising kids. We've traveled together, laughed and cried together, and sipped more glasses of bubbly than I could possibly count. No matter where in the world life has taken us, they've been there, and I treasure every bit of it.

When I got divorced all those years ago, I couldn't have told you where life was taking me. I wore the mask of a stoic, and behind it was a woman who was scared and ashamed. These two wrapped me in kindness and love anyway, and they still do.

When a marriage ends, most of us brace for what we're about to lose. We count what's leaving, the house, the money, the life we planned, sometimes the friends who may choose sides. It's much harder to picture what might be arriving. Back then, a single mom with a toddler, I had no way of knowing that the couple across the street would one day invite me to Paris to celebrate a birthday.

No matter what transition life hands you, you never know where it all might lead. Some of what comes next you'll build yourself, and some of it may already be living across the street.

That's the spirit behind the Divorce After 50 Summit, which I'm hosting this Tuesday, November 10.

In both of my divorces, I never had the support I needed. That's a big part of why I became a divorce coach, and why I created this summit. I want to give you what I didn't have. On Tuesday, twelve of us will spend the day answering the questions women in mid-life have about divorce, from the house, retirement, money, taxes, and the law, to building a life you love afterward. Whether you're still deciding, in the middle of it, or already rebuilding, there's a place for you. Bring your questions, and come for one session or stay all day.

Divorce After 50 Summit

The Experts, the Roadmap, and the Life Waiting on the Other Side

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Pacific

Live online

Free to attend

If you know a woman who could use a day like this, please pass it along.

As for tonight, I'll be the one with a glass of champagne in hand, raising it to Erin, to sixty, and to the young couple across the street who turned out to be some of the best things that divorce ever led me to.

Love and Light,

Michele Heffron

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