I recently discovered a little white paper on a statistical analysis that was done by the National Center for Health and Statistics (NCHS) that analyzed marriage by both gender and race. The most important finding in this article seems to point to the reality that if you are still single, ladies, your chances of getting married only improve with age!!! YAY! (insert sarcasm).
To me, this makes a lot of sense. The more time you spend here on earth, the more likely it will be that you find someone whom you want to marry and whom wants to marry you as well.
I am not 30 yet, but I am starting to practice identify myself with that age…you know, to get used to it and to lessen the blow when that god-forsaken birthday finally hits in several months. And, I was encouraged to see that there is still hope. My chances of having my first marriage by the time I’m 31 or 32 or 35 will be close to or will exceed 60%. And if not by then, by age 40 my chances are closer to 90%.
Additionally (by a statistic not included in the link above) I could increase my chances even more if I moved to Nebraska. Turns out, by living in Nebraska the chances for women to marry are 30% higher than for women living in Washington DC. So ladies, I think this means if you’re in the DC area, you better pack your bags, prepare for a slight salary cut and move out west.
All joking aside, I know that as we get older, the prospects of marriage seem farther and farther away. If you’re like me, it seems like all the good men are taken, married, and have kids of their own. BUT, the truth is, there is still time, there’s still a special person…and perhaps as you wait to meet your prince charming you can and should be praying not only for your own character development, but also for his…that you both might be ready for the challenges and blessings that a marriage can provide.
a heart set on pilgrimage 