I hate to say it, but I think you’ve got to be more than a little bit desperate to let something as abstract and hopeful as “True Love” into your heart… let alone allow it to serve as your internal compass. I mean, True Love might as well be relegated to the world of Disney princess and unicorns, right? Well. I guess you’ll never know if you don’t believe, now, will you?

If you’re anything like me, your heart will literally start to hurt when you think about something extremely sad. To counteract this effect, try taking five very deep, slow breaths and hugging a heart-shaped pillow to your chest. Animals or people will also do, in a pinch.

I have a green velvet ottoman in my therapy office that helps me relax and feel comfortable when I’m listening to a patient describe their depression or their trauma. And when I’m comfortable, the vibes of comfort and security get transmitted back to my patient. Just another way everybody wins, with True Love.

Pharmaceutical companies would have us believe that the right drug has the power to change your life. But I’ll have you know that True Love has zero side effects — no nausea, no suicidal thoughts, and no night sweats required. Just a deeply secure sense of inner calm is what you’re left with, after True Love has had its way with your body, mind, and soul.

I’ll never forget the lady who charged into the YBD pop-up shop and immediately zeroed in on this card. She was the mother of the bride in an upcoming wedding, and she told me she wished she could have had this design on the invitations. For the record, YBD is ready and willing to do commissions for weddings, funerals, commitment ceremonies, even divorce parties, if need be.

Please note that I didn’t say that the people you love are always patient, generous, affectionate, and kind. I said True Love is. Big difference! Your current/former flames were deeply human (and probably, deeply flawed). But True Love is always there for you, should you choose to devote your affections to it.   

I spend so much time in my head agonizing over whether I should pick Choice A or Choice B, I think it would be a huge relief if Choice C came charging in and said, girl, you know it’s true. Sometimes we really do need to be saved from ourselves.

I’m a water sign, so naturally I love to swim… aaaaand I feel my feelings very deeply. But even if you’re a steady, grounded Earth sign who prefers ice hockey to swimming (I’m looking at you, Taurus!), I can assure you that True Love’s waters are indeed as warm and gentle as the aqua aerobics pool at your local Senior Center.

What does it take to “take True Love very, very seriously?” Well, first of all, you need four good tires, a bottle of Black Opium eau de parfum, and some breathable fabric underwear. I’m just kidding: you just need to listen to your heart with rigorous discipline.

Let’s get one thing straight: all good therapy is really meant to be a facsimile of love, anyway. The unconditional acceptance… the positive encouragement… and the power of a consistently supportive and collaborative relationship to provide the nervous system reset that leads to greater peace of mind and self-efficacy. True Love: now taking appointments!

Just because I say I’ll always be waiting for True Love doesn’t mean I’m sitting by the phone, waiting for my ex-boyfriend to miraculously text me to say he wants a relationship with me again. Actually, I’ve renounced romantic relationships entirely, which leaves me with all the True Love in the Universe to pour into my kids, my home, and my art. True Love comes in many forms, but the effect is always the same: it feels miraculous.

You can start this journey anytime you damn well please. As a matter of fact, perusing YBD’s postcard shop is a great place to start. All you have to do is let yourself look at all the cards and find the one that suits you best, right here, right now. Look deep into the eyes of the model on the card, then close your own eyes and wait. A feeling will come to you; chances are, it’s the first feeling of the rest of your life.

Every person is full of a million stories. There are the stories we tell our families, the stories we tell our coworkers, and even the stories we tell our therapist. Having said that, most of our stories (if you’ll excuse my French) are bullshit lies — they’re constructed out of pride, ego, or a downright desperate need for approval. Only our love stories are true stories, because a real love story comes from your very true heart.

I have every reason in the Universe to believe I’ll never see you again. Like maybe you really did move to California for work. Or maybe you really did give up on me, that day in May I left your stuff on your front stoop. But the idea of you lives on in my mind, that perfect and natural love; the love I’ll never be able to resist. I see you. LMK when you’re ready.

It’s like trying to explain water to a fish. There’s so much of it around him, he just takes it for granted and doesn’t even identify it as a “thing.” It’s just… there. So when I say True Love is everywhere, it’s a much simpler statement than you might think. True Love is in that tree over there. It’s in the kid playing on the playground. And it’s exactly what you’re made of, should you choose to see it as such.