At (almost) 20 years of age, I am 100 percent sure I am with the man I am going to marry. He is kind, patient and truly the most incredible human I have ever met. He is the only person I can stand to be around all the time and he never ceases to amaze me with his love. My boyfriend is my hero, he does what I could never do for a living and he is changing lives every day.
If I were ten years older, people would probably be pestering me about when we would get engaged. For some reason, two years is a long time to be together without an engagement when you're 30, but not when you're 20. People would be overjoyed that I had met the man of my dreams, and they wouldn't underestimate my ability to choose a great man. Instead of all these wonderful sentiments, people decide to tell me that I am much too young to have found my future husband. I'm sorry...what?
I am not sure why everyone seems to think young people are incapable of finding true love. As much as I hate to admit it, I have dated my fair share of guys, so I am not lacking in experience. I know exactly what I want in a man, and my boyfriend meets every standard and exceeds it by a long shot. It's common for people to tell me about how they broke up with their college boyfriends or how I am not enough of an adult to be considering marriage.
This needs to end, people. First, your story isn't mine, and I am sorry to hear about your breakup, but that isn't necessarily my story. That would be like telling my recently engaged friend that long distance relationships never work out; she and her fiancé have been doing it for five years. Second, maturity is not the same as age. I can assure you that my maturity level is much higher than what you're assuming it is. I don't go to parties and I don't drink; I am responsible. I work, go to school, and pay my bills on time.
There shouldn't be an age where it becomes acceptable to get married. There's no difference in meeting "the one" now or 20 years from now. When you know, you know. God has different plans for us all and if I am being honest, it has always been in my heart to get married younger. That doesn't make me stupid or ignorant; it means I am following my heart. I believe that my boyfriend and I were brought together for a purpose, and I believe that purpose is marriage.
I no longer stand there and take it when someone says, "But you'll miss out on so many experiences if you get married young." What experiences require being single? None. I can travel, I can move anywhere, and I can follow my dreams with my very best friend beside me. Isn't that beautiful? Why are we shaming young people for being in love? Why do we tell them they are wasting their lives?
Sometimes love waits until you're 30 and there's nothing wrong with that, but sometimes love sweeps you away in your 20s. So you broke up with your college boyfriend; that doesn't mean I will. Let's stop letting our experiences dictate how we encourage others. Let's lift them up and realize that everyone has a different story and it's OK to fall in love at 20.
