What is comfort food?

So I asked myself last night:  Should I bake brownies or not? Will I regret the calories and feel worse about myself afterwards, or feel better, because it reminds me of my friends on vacation, for whom I had baked brownies. Would baking more brownies now at home bring me comfort, or despair that I was eating sweets, even though I made the brownies as vegan. So I consulted the internet, and this is what I found on generic question/answer sites with no author: "Comfort food is food that provides a nostalgic or sentimental value to someone and may be characterized by its high caloric nature associated with childhood or home cooking. The nostalgia may be specific to an individual or it may apply to a specific culture." "A 2015 study at Sewanee found that comfort food was associated with close relationships. It reminds of us our “social ties” and helps us feel less lonely when we feel isolated. This happens when an individual connects a food item with a social gathering, their family, or people taking care of them. There is a strong association between scents and memories due to the olfactory bulb, which is a part of the limbic system that deals with memory and emotional experience. Thus, nostalgia can evoke a sense of belonging." So thank you internet for validating my wish for comfort. And I still have a few brownies left, which I will eat tonight, preparing for Labor Day and a return to work soon after. Take away? If you love summer and you are a little bit sad that it is officially over this weekend, on Labor Day, fix yourself a little comfort food to ease your transition. And Happy Labor Day!!