Today, I sent my ex-boyfriend his old sweatshirt back.

It wasn't a huge deal; I scoured the house for a suitable cardboard box (a thin one with Amazon Prime printed in black on the side did the trick), searched our old texts to find his address (skipping over the most recent ones from just before our break up), and rifled around until I found some tissue paper (because I'm not an animal).

Next, I gingerly removed his favorite sweatshirt from the bottom rack of my closet, slipped it from its hanger, and folded it with care. It was wrapped and sent off with a brief note apologizing for not sending it sooner since a month and a half is a long time to have waited.

On the drive to UPS, I thought over everything. I know, cliché, but it's the truth.

Our relationship was an inexperienced and messy one, to say the least, but it was still fun while it lasted even though we both knew it had an end. I sort of stumbled my way into another relationship not long after with someone who I considered to be a very close friend, (which I'm sure most of you think was an awful idea) but I'm incredibly happy even if it's long distance (which, again, I'm sure most of you think is a godawful idea). Everything has been great thus far and we're very happy together -- in fact, he asked me not 30 minutes ago if he could send me a special birthday gift in the fall.

You guessed it: he wants to send me one of his sweatshirts.

I sent off one sweatshirt, a piece of clothing that smelled like my ex, reminded me of my ex and represented everything I once had with my ex, only to be asked if I wanted another.

And I said, "yes, of course."

Why in the HELL would I want to own something that made me ache whenever I saw it in the closet? Why would we put ourselves through this same turmoil time and time again??

Even though it can cause so many problems at the end of the relationship, we all simply love to wear/borrow our significant other's belongings -- it's practically ingrained in our dating culture. We see it all over Instagram and Facebook, in the halls of our schools, and in the "perfect relationship" hashtag across the internet. Wearing a large, old sweatshirt is an aesthetic in itself and almost announces to the world that you're either taken, don't give an "F," or a combination of both. This phenomenon is put best by author and sexologist Dr. Yvonne Fulbright: "Giving somebody something of yours that is special or of value has long been a part of courting and dating rituals...Movies from the 1950s are well known for men making gestures like giving his girl his Letterman's jacket, or a gal wearing a guy's class ring on a chain around her neck."

Not only that, but the act of wearing something that clearly doesn't belong to you such as a Letterman's jacket, a hat, or a tee shirt is a way of publicly staking a claim on that person as an informal "hands off." The worn-out oversized sweatshirt basically acts as a cheaper and less permanent stand-in for an engagement ring until that band is around their finger. I think it goes without saying that we can all totally appreciate that this is what we've turned to regarding "marking our territory" over the less elegant canine version…

Although, to say that this version doesn't involve a strong scent would also be completely incorrect. We all know that we love the scent of our partners; it reminds us of them, calms us, and brings a smile to our faces. Having a wearable hug scented with pure happiness is the closest thing to heaven you can get (other than actually being with your S.O., of course). That scent isn't only memory-based but is actually biological. "Because each person has a unique scent, we are biologically programmed to seek out a mate who has a different stink than we do," said Julia Reisz of Thrillist. "When a [person] likes the way you (and your hoodie) smells, that's [their] body's way of acknowledging that your offspring would have healthy immune systems." Basically, borrowing your S.O.'s comfy sweatshirt and giving it a sniff is a way of convincing your body further that you're meant to be with them, which is both creepy and poetic in its own way.

As much as I would like to partially blame John Hughes and his perfect 80's rom-com tropes for my current inner turmoil, I think that sentiment would be misplaced. There are several reasons as to why we love wearing our significant other's clothing even though it can cause so many issues once a relationship has run its course, but I'm sticking by my guns in saying that there is one enormous factor that truly makes us want to steal that sweatshirt when given the opportunity: it just makes us happy.

In the end, what is a relationship all about if it's not to make us happy?

It sucks when it ends (I think we can all agree with that) and we all have our regrets, but being able to physically purge yourself of those memories by sending their hug back to them? That transcends any other means of recovery.

While you contemplate that, I'm going to go and totally not worry about how much shipping to South Dakota will cost if my current relationship doesn't work out...