Member-only story
“When are you going to get married?”
On societal pressure and personal timelines
When I scroll through Facebook nowadays, I see so many people getting engaged or having children. Some of my Facebook friends are onto their second baby, and I’m not even close to being ready for a baby anytime soon. I still feel like an overgrown child, much less a grown adult woman ready to enter motherhood.
When I attend family gatherings, my family friends’ parents sometimes joke and ask about when Michael and I are getting married. And I usually laugh it off and say we’ll be ready when we’re ready.
I genuinely mean that, though. We’ve known each other for two years. Compared to my friendship with my bestie (22 years and counting!), that’s a toddler of a relationship.
I do see myself spending the rest of my life with him, but it doesn’t mean that we’re going to get married tomorrow. I have graduate school and work and a few other things going on right now — the timing’s not great. He’s got a lot going on at work, too.
But I haven’t only been asked about love and relationships. People have also asked about career choices.
With full-time positions open lately, I’ve been asked if I applied. I would love a full-time job, but now is not the right time. I don’t want to increase my…
