A recipe for love should include whole people, that is, the people involved must be accepted just the way they are, no removing skins or scraping out seeds, cutting away little rotted or moldy spots, and never separating and tossing away crusts. Once these whole people agree to this, then the adventure can begin!

Ingredients would include: hobbies, likes and not-so-much likes, family in moderation with no apologies for/to cranky aunts or other problematic relatives-really, they can stay at home and berate their walls so no one else has to suffer. Let’s add in some non-humans too-horses, dogs, cats, really more is better and you can enjoy them and care for them together. Your life will be richer and your rotted parts less.

If you love words, paths, stars-basque in them. Share them. If they love RAP, liver, travel, it’s okay, you don’t have to share the liver. The thing is, the recipe can change. You can both become masterchefs. Mix it all in one big bowl, or use two sometimes. Stir wildly, but with gentle thought, and bake at a temperature that will keep it cooking, but never quite have a toothpick coming out clean.

Note: If it burns, the most likely cause was that the two main ingredients were never accepted as whole to begin with.