It's Not a Race

As a result of It's Not a Contest, I've been thinking about how it's not a race, either.  I see these little girls getting married solely because their friends are, not because they are ready to be married themselves. I just want to grab them and tell them that it's okay to be single!! It's not a race to the alter, to have children, whatever. Slow down. Take your time. When it's right, it's right. No need to stress out. I mean, look at me. I could have played the game, pursued some nice guy I didn't love but would make an okay husband, and married him.

But I didn't. And not to put myself on a pedestal, but it worked out rather well for me. And I now understand that it's because life is not a contest! It's like on Secret Life. These teenagers are all racing to be grown ups and missing out on the fun of being a teenager!

And whereas it's not a race or a contest, no matter what side of the spectrum you're on, it's important to remember that you do things on your own time. And your time works for you; you shouldn't shove it onto someone else or think that they are trying to be like you. I know this pair of sisters (and this is honestly truly not about me and my sister!) where the younger accused the older of copying her and her husband. She 'copied' by moving to Utah. By having children. By having a house. Which is a natural progression. So this paragraph was a little tangential, but my point is this: Your life is your life. Don't force your life on anyone else, or their standards onto you. It's not a contest; it's not a race. It's life and things will happen when they're supposed to.