A few years ago I mentioned that when I was young and single I found that when the weather got warmer and the days got longer, I’d feel an almost physical pain. It was like a longing for something I could not name. After that post, I had at least one blog comment and several long emails telling me that others have that same experience. What is that painful feeling? That pain is loneliness.

I felt that pain again a couple of weeks ago. It was an unseasonably warm day, so I decided to take a rea...