Last night, while dining on chicken nuggets and grape juice with my stepkids (stepmoms are off the hook for being culinary artists which in many ways makes us heroes, but I digress) I noticed the slogan on the Heinz ketchup bottle read: Grown, Not Made. Grown, not made. Grown. Not. Made. How genius, I thought to myself as a French fry got stuck up the little ones nose, which wasn’t so genius. Grown and not made – a slight but ever so important distinction… and likely what makes Heinz ketchup the sweet mother of all ketchups.

Not only did this awakening make me appreciate the love and care put in each Heinz bottle (and for you cynics out there, the good marketing too) all that much more, I finally now I had a simple answer to the many inquiries I get regarding how it is possible that a woman can seemingly be “relationship ready” and then meet a great man but then to her shock and surprise, the perfect relationship doesn’t just happen. Well voila, because, just like awesome ketchup, relationships are grown, not made.

And growth begins with gorgeously rich and healthy ingredients, fertilized with L.O.V.E. I’m willing to bet a box of fruit roll ups that Heinz only uses ripe tomatoes, pure sugar, distilled vinegar, etc. When I did a little research late last night on the Heinz ketchup story, their perfect recipe didn’t happen overnight, even it was grown, not made. The lab stayed open until they perfected the ideal flavor and consistency, one that is famed until today, over 130 years after its creation.

So what does all of this mean to you?

It means that to become ripe, you need nurturing. For tomatoes, they need sunlight, water and good fertilizer. For you, you need (fill in your blanks) to become the best possible you.

It means that pure is good and everlasting. When we complicate our recipes we begin to not know ourselves; we begin to taste artificial to us, and to others which means we don’t sell well. Simplicity of heart breeds sustainability.

It means that good things are worth waiting for… just like the slow pouring Heinz ketchup. Think about it, the ketchup that comes oozing out of the bottle just doesn’t taste as good. But Heinz is well worth the wait.

Inhale patience with the processes of self-love, dating and relationship development… like gardening, creating good recipes and slow pouring ketchup, they are all worth the wait.

Love… it is grown, not made.

Live and love largely,

Tristan

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