At a surface level, we think of intimacy as just love and sex. But intimacy is so much more than that. It's

that human need for closeness with those around us - yes, lovers, but also friends, family, and community.

It's sitting quietly and being honest with yourself. It's the way societal pressures can infiltrate every inch of

your private life.

And intimacy is wonderful. To be truly intimate with someone, something, yourself is liberating and

exhilarating. But when it goes wrong, it hurts. When you lose that lover; when you're betrayed by your