“There is no remedy for love but to love more.”

—Henry David Thoreau

For a brief moment, I had something pithy and profound to say in response to this quote by Thoreau, but by the time I’d settled in to write the once brilliant thought had faded, like a dream within minutes of my waking up. All I can remember is something likening love to a stretched out sweater – you know the kind that’s grown a size or two, from years of being worn, and no matter how you try to reshape it when it’s wet, you’ll never get it back to its original size. That’s my heart, reshaped by love.

On this Valentine’s Day I’m inclined to thank all the people who’ve broken my heart, without whom my heart would still be tiny and timid. Although my sweater/heart feels larger than I’d like and a bit misshapen right now, I trust it’s the perfect size for whatever or whomever comes next. Until then, I’ll keep applying Thoreau’s remedy. I have so much love to give, there’s really no choice but to give it away.