Is it just me, or is everyone and their cat getting married? Not just me—good. Glad to know that I'm not crazy.
It's true, though. 'Tis the season, as someone once told me. It seems like my Facebook and Instagram feeds are filled with marital bliss on a daily basis. Yes, it's beautiful. I'm so happy to have so many friends who are starting this amazing new season of life. Well, I'm happy most of the time. Other times, I get bitter and angry. Why? The answer is simple:
I'm single. Very, very single.
Coming from a college deemed a "marriage factory" (somewhat jokingly), it's not hard to see my four years of college singleness as a failure (still holding out hope for graduate school). Even though I've come to a place of being confident in my singleness—honestly, I wouldn't make a good wife right now—it's still easy to slip into bitterness and insecurity. What's wrong with me? Why is God holding out on me? What makes me not dating or marriage material? When will it be my turn? Or the worst case scenario, am I doomed to be single forever? Chances are, I'm not the only one who has asked themselves these same questions. I'm probably not the only person who has wanted to throw their phone across the room when they see another wedding album or engagement notification. I'm also probably not the only one who has questioned their value because of the overwhelming awareness of their lack of partner.
If no one has ever told you this, let me be the first: your value is not dictated by your relationship status. Let me say it again: being single does not make you less of a person. Being single does not mean that something is wrong with you. I know that's really easy to say but very hard to believe. There have been many days where I've looked at all my friends who are engaged, married, or seriously dating and wondering if I've missed the boat (or if there was even a boat for me to miss). I still have those days, especially seeing friends with whom I just graduated getting married. Singleness is not a curse or a cross to bear. Yes, it is difficult. It can be extremely lonely.
Being single is a season of your life that you can never get back. The amount of freedom you have is unlike anything you'll get to experience. You can go backpacking through Europe, move to Africa for a year or hitchhike across America (even though I wouldn't recommend the third option). You have the opportunity to take risks in your job, because you don't have to heavily consider another person. Better yet, you can work on becoming the person you've always wanted to be—the same person that you'll be when you get married. The options truly are limitless. Embrace the freedom!
One day, I sincerely hope I can find a man who loves me enough to spend the rest of his life with me. For now, I'm content to remain #foreveryoung.
