marriage

Looking at where I am today and especially my age, I think it is relevant to start talking about marriage. I know me and my close friends have been talking about marriage since forever!

Partly, it's the itch (come on, admit it!) but for the most part I think some of us have come to a stage where we are ready to take our relationship to the next level. I don't think 24 is too young an age to settle down although it is to some -- especially in today's scenario whereby most of us graduated at 24 and it is also an age which many of us start working. So yes, for that reason marriage sometimes has to be put on hold due to financial reasons.

When I was young, I vowed to get married at 23. When I was in college, I remembered telling my mom I will get married before I turn 25. Now, at the age of 24, I can safely say that I'm not too sure now. By right, I should be preparing for my engagement and my wedding if 25 is the year that I want to settle down.

True enough, marriage is not a chore that we can simply arrange or pull off. Looking at the bigger picture, yes, it can get very elating but like they say, there are many things in the pond. Especially today, when every slight thing counts, money is pertinent. You want good things, you need to have money. And because a wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, of course you would want the best of things. So I understand why men shudder when we ladies start to talk about marriage because money instantly comes to mind.

Things have radically changed where marriage is concerned. It is so obvious. It seems everyone is competing who had the best wedding, who wore the prettiest outfits, who had the nicest hantaran, who made your make up, and even who was your photographer. And so everyone is pressured to have such wedding or the one equivalent. That is another reason why marriage can cause so much headache.

But to me, all of that is not important. Surely, I would want a great wedding but one which is grand to my eyes. Sure, I'd want to wear the nicest clothes but which I'm comfortable wearing and one which I can afford. And yes, I'd love to have a professional photographer who will capture the important moments on my big day for me to keep and I don't care who he is. Sometimes, simple things can turn out to be so beautiful and you don't have to forge that huge amount of money.

I like it when things were simpler back then. You go through the ritual of the nikah and that's it, you're legally married. But of course it won't be as nice today. Tak sedaplah orang kata. You should at least hold a majlis for both sides. In Islam, it's a means of informing people that you are married so that the next time people see you and a man walk hand-in-hand, it will not cause fitnah.

So, having said all that, am I ready to get married? I'd say yes. I think I'm all set to take my relationship to the next level but I'll have to wait until the right time comes. Rizal thinks that too. After all, we've been going out for the past 6 years. I think it's high time that we end it with a legal tie :) Until then, I will keep on praying.