Happy Valentine's Day to You...

I went to the post office today and was stunned by the crowd. There were so many people filling every space and corner that I had to recheck my surroundings to make sure I hadn't stepped into the DMV. After seeing the familiar postal stamp machines (also surrounded by a mob of people), I asked aloud if it always got so crowded at mid-morning. The woman in front of me, carrying an armful of packages and an assortment of red and pink envelopes, said "It's Valentine's Day." Ohhh. Of course. It turns out, according to Valentine facts put out by History.com, 188 million Valentine greeting cards are sent out every year (not including children's classroom Valentine exchanges!). That's a lot of love. Not surprisingly, nine of the top 10 songs in the Billboard Top 100 have to do with love of some sort (jilted, unrequited, fulfilled, etc.). Love is universal, so it's no wonder millions of sonnets have described it, monuments have been built as its testament, wars have been incited over it, lives have been cut short by it's loss, artists of all talents have been inspired by it, and just about everyone desires it. Love calms the existential angst of loneliness and death. It survives us and moves us in ways we least expect. Psychology attempts to understand it, but it only glimpses love's full mystery and power. The one consistent finding is that babies need love and people thrive with love. So, this post wishes every reader an unending pool of love and a genuinely happy heart this Valentine's Day.