"Of course, girls are taught that our deepest longings must obviously be all about love (see: every pre-Pixar fairy tale ever told). But answer me this — have you ever actually had your bad boyfriend’s arms around you and felt the same feeling, or something close to it? I bet you have. I know I have. Arms present and accounted for, but same sad shivery feeling. Even now, when I’m mere weeks away from marrying a truly lovely man, I still sometimes find myself crying soundlessly in a dark room for no apparent reason. All of which shows that That Feeling is not about love or romance or anything other than the simplest reality of being alive — the fact that on a very fundamental level, we are always alone. WOW I am really cheering you up here, aren’t I? Sorry! But I want you to understand this: that feeling just happens sometimes. Frequently on a monthly basis. And though there can be great comfort in being close to someone, closeness doesn’t make it go all the way away."