Being a graduate student in the human development field and working in a “marriage lab”, conversations about marriage and relationships are bound to come up at least a time or two (hey it’s who we are). Most recently the spotlight was on me and my boyfriend of the past two years. I was sharing that it has been my experience that when you’ve been with the same person for two years people start to question where your relationship is going and if they should “save the date”. While I love my boyfriend and as of right now am pretty confident that he’s the guy I’m gonna spend my life with, I’m not ready to take that walk down the aisle just yet. I’m a 21 year old new graduate student and just don’t feel that marriage would be the right fit for me at this stage of my life. In fact based upon some recent self-reflection I don’t think I believe in marriage before 25.
Now I know that some of you may be disagreeing with me at this point, but just hear me out. I’m NOT saying that there is anything wrong with being married before 25. I know tons of people who have been happily married for years that got married before they were 25, however it just does not fit with the direction I want my life to go. In fact there is research that says our brains are not fully developed until we’re 25 and I definitely need to be working with a full deck before I’m equipped to be someone’s wife.
No matter what age you get married whether it be 23, 35, 0r 40 just make sure you do what’s right for you.
Jaleesa Albadani
Graduate Research Assistant, Alabama Community Healthy Marriage Initiative
Tags: ACHMI, age, dating, Jaleesa Albadani, marriage
What's Happening at ACHMI 
Leave a Reply