C43H66N12O12S2

Pretty girl, I was listening to a podcast today and the topic of oxytocin came up. The topic of

discussion was how oxytocin is helpful for bonding, whether bonding to a baby, a loved one

or even a new acquaintance. Even shaking hands when greeting can release oxytocin, as can

exercise and sex. C43H66N12O12S2 is the chemical expression for oxytocin, by the way. I

was curious to know more about this wonder hormone, so did some searching and landed

on the website of Dignity Health. The article read as follows:

Oxytocin is self-perpetuating. It's how your body rewards you for making social connections, and it also makes you more successful at forming and maintaining those connections.

Studies have shown that oxytocin makes you feel more generous, more empathetic and nurturing, more collaborative, and more grateful — all of which help make you a good partner, parent, friend, and co-worker. Gratitude, in particular, is such a powerful bonding emotion that many scientists have deemed it the psychological "glue" that keeps people close.

Physical contact is just as important when building new relationships. For example, when strangers shake your hand, you're more likely to trust them, not only because it's a friendly gesture, but because their touch produces oxytocin that makes you trust them more.

Touching is also a powerful and universal way to communicate distinct emotions. Just think about all the different reasons someone might squeeze your hand — to show support and sympathy during tough times, to convey love, to comfort you (and themselves) in frightening situations. Each of those squeezes says something different, and each one feels a bit different, even when it's coming from someone you don't know well.

To prove this, researchers at Berkeley paired up strangers and separated them by a barrier with a small hole in it. One participant put an arm through the hole, while the other tried to communicate 12 unique emotions by briefly touching their partner's arms. Overall, the subjects who were touched could detect gratitude, sympathy, and love with about 55 to 60 percent accuracy. Science has provided many facts about touch, but perhaps the most important is this: Human beings were meant to touch and be touched, to spend time in the company of other people, and to make emotional connections. In today's digital world, it's easy to forget the importance of face-to-face communication, but you can't shake hands via email or give a hug via text. To get a dose of oxytocin, you'll have to get up close and personal.

I thought that this article explained a lot about us, specifically a bond that seems to be unbreakable and my desire to always be close to you. I could spend days upon days with you without getting tired of your presence. How many times (and for how long) did we touch during the last eight (+) years? And how long did we spend touching?! How many gallons of this wonder hormone did we produce?! That would be a fun metric to estimate, wouldn't it? I just might tackle that one day, but in the meantime, I'll focus on the amount of oxytocin that we are going to produce in just 80-something days!