So you're in college. You just started and have already found your first college boyfriend. Uh-oh. He breaks up with you after two months, and you're completely blindsided. But here comes a guy, the sweetest guy you've ever met. He wants to listen to your breakup sob story and even offers his advice. Little do you know, he actually likes you as more than a friend. Everyone tells you, "Oh, it'll never last. He's just your rebound." And suddenly, you're engaged. This is the short story of what happened to me.
I found my now-fiancé during my first semester at Purdue University. I was a member of the all women's choir on campus, and he was a member of the all men's choir. Just four short days after my biggest heartbreak ever, he comforted me and took the chance at asking me out. At first, my parents were completely shocked and appalled that I would start dating again so quickly, but they soon began to love my fiancé almost as much as I did.
When I got engaged after being in college for only seven months, people had conniptions. Everyone asked questions like "How did your dad react," "Aren't you a bit young," "How do your parents feel about him," and "Why are you rushing to get married?"
But why is it such a big deal to get married young?
Many adults say, "You're too young to know who you want to spend the rest of your life with." Really? And yet you expect me to know at eighteen years of age what kind of career I want to spend the rest of my life doing and go to college for it? Unrealistic.
More and more adults are choosing to get married later in life. I believe this may be because many young adults are scared of or hesitant toward commitment. They would prefer to go to parties, "have fun," and date around until they're ready to settle down. But gradually, fewer and fewer people are actually getting married. Some people never outgrow the "college" stage of going to parties and hooking up. It's now socially acceptable to live with the person you're dating and continue to live with him or her throughout life without being married.
It was once completely normal to get married at fourteen-, fifteen-, and sixteen-years-old. No one questioned it then, so why is anyone questioning it now? Obviously, the times have changed. It is now more common for couples to live together instead of signing a marriage contract.
Our relationship is very traditional and even a bit old-fashioned. My fiancé and I dated exclusively, we both share the same beliefs, we have old souls, we go to church together, we only go to parties together, and we both like the typical chivalrous relationship qualities. He opens doors for me, offers me his jacket, buys me flowers, offers to help me with things, and buys me dinner.
I found my future husband within my first 3 months of starting college. I wasn't looking to fall in love, and I wasn't trying to get engaged. It's completely okay to find the person you want to spend the rest of your life with during this time. In fact, a lot of people do. I wasn't coming to college solely to find a husband. I just happened to find him at the exact moment that I needed to. It may not be as common to get engaged during your freshman year of college, but there's no shame in doing so.
No one gets the right to judge my engagement because everyone else is on the outside of the relationship. Only your S.O. and you know what your relationship is like because it's between the two of you.
My fiancé and I were both in a committed relationship with our Savior before beginning a committed relationship together. I had just gotten out of my first serious relationship when I met my fiancé in October 2017. My fiancé and I clicked instantly, and I knew by Christmas that he was the one for me. We got engaged in February, and our wedding date is set for July of 2021! Yes, I know that's over 2 years after getting engaged, but it gives me plenty of time to plan the most amazing, romantic wedding possible.
If you're in love and are ready to commit, do it. Don't let someone tell you that you're too young to fall in love. Who are they to put an age limit on love? Some people even marry their high school sweetheart! I am a classic romantic and think that it's normal to fall in love at a young age. If you find the person you love with all your heart and are ready to spend the rest of your life with, it shouldn't matter how old you are.
