Today I had the privilege of taking care of one of my favorite patients. He is an older gentleman and often forgets what he asked me the week before. As a result, some of his questions repeat themselves, including his advice. It is a regular question to ask me if I am married and when I answer no, if I am dating someone, I then say no again. His response is always “and that is okay!”
But today he went on to tell me more. He went on to tell me how he has 2 daughters and that he always talked to them about waiting for the right one, no matter how long it took. He was encouraging me as he told me his one daughter had to wait until she was 30, but for both of his daughters how he couldn’t find a better guy for each one of them even if he had interviewed guys for 100 years straight. He didn’t make me feel sorry for being single, he didn’t tell me I was doing it wrong, he just encouraged me that waiting for the right one is the important fact. He assured me that where I am now as a 28 year-old-single women, is okay, in fact, that there is nothing wrong with it. He didn’t make me feel like less of a person or less interesting because I have no husband or kids at home yet.
Some day I hope to have more than just my own feet, but I’m beyond thankful for this time of growing and learning as a single woman.
Recently I’ve been talking with many of my single friends about how they are feeling. For many of us the focus is this, enjoying where we are at and not letting our relationship status define us or our mood. This holiday season and beyond, my goal is this; to be the best me I can be at that exact moment. To excel in all opportunities presented. Learn to live life daily with more grace and joy. And to focus on becoming the best me I can be so hopefully when that day does come when I meet my Prince Charming, I can say I spent my time preparing for him well.
So to all those happily married couples out there please encourage us to wait for the right one. Encourage us that we are worth the right. Encourage us that it isn’t something that is wrong with us. And in return, let us know how to encourage and love on you.
Because in the end, we are all just people wandering through this life together. We are people, not relationship statuses, and who we are is in the core of each of us. Let us learn to live life together better than ever. Because I don’t know about you, but I sure learn a lot from people in different stages of life than me.