In today’s society, many young adults focus on their careers and establish their independence before they dive into marriage. While older adults say that we’re abandoning marriage for the sake of success, I personally don’t view it that way. In fact, I see it as a choice that can change at any time if you meet “the one.”
For some reason, many people pity women who choose their career over marriage. Once more society tells us that we’re missing out on an important life milestone if we choose not to tie the knot. Everyone expects young women to settle down, marry someone who will provide, and start a family. That’s what’s supposed to happen, right?
Believe it or not, women can choose to do whatever they want. They can start a family or they can run a multi-million dollar business (or both). As women, we should have the option to live life how we decide is best without experiencing guilt from those around us. We shouldn’t feel obligated to live a life that we don’t actually want just because it’s what everyone “expects.”
I am a millennial and I have a career. Am I giving up on marriage entirely? Absolutely not.
I want to get married one day, just not right now. Also, I know plenty of people who are married and are very successful. One of my friends works as a travel blogger and engages in charity work. Guess what? She just married the love of her life. Will she abandon her career now that she married someone? I don’t think so, but who am I to judge if she does make that decision?
I think that older generations worry that we’re changing the narrative around marriage and it makes them uncomfortable. However, I’m sure that our parents made choices that bothered their parents, too. At the end of the day, though, we must make decisions that make us happy and everyone else should respect our decisions.
After all, change happens whether we like it or not, and this shift in how our generation approaches marriage doesn’t hurt anyone. I’m sure that the generation after us will pave their own way too, and we should all learn to accept and respect how people choose to live their lives.
If you’re a millennial and you chose a career over searching for true love, that’s OK. Do what suits you and what feels right. If you love your partner and choose marriage instead of a career, then good for you too! We should stop worrying over the fact that more people in their 20s are putting their career goals before marriage. In fact, why is this even an issue in 2020 at all? We can all choose to live our lives however we want. Let’s just support each other and celebrate our successes!
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