Navigating the Choice Between Single Life and Relationships

In life, we're saddled with the responsibility of making choices. At a point, some of our decisions were made by our parents or guardians who raised us. But there comes a point when you make your own decisions; be it what to wear, what to study, where to reside, who you choose to hang out with, the skills you wish to learn, and so on. It indicates growth, and not just that, but the necessity of making choices.

Here, the prompt seeks to know what the choice is like when it comes to choosing to be single or in a relationship. I didn't really see this from time as a conversation. Maybe because I understood this all to be a process. There's a time you're a single person, and you enjoy the benefit and privilege of that stage in life. And there's a point you decide to commit to a relationship, hopefully culminating in marriage.

Well, I get it that people can choose to remain single even when they're okay and ready for a relationship, and that's a choice they make for themselves for some reason. Some people go through the single life and commit later to a relationship when they see that they're ready for that. I think both have their benefits, especially when well utilised. The single life and a relationship both have reasons that make them appealing to people.

As a single person, one thing that comes to mind is the freedom to do your thing. Some constraints can be said to be when in a relationship. Single life tends to cancel out that. A single person gets the opportunity to sit with themself and consider their life and purpose. It offers the luxury of that time to oneself. There's also the opportunity for self-growth. Single life offers that privilege and a time for more, deep introspection.

Being in a relationship is nonetheless a beauty. I do believe we can't do life alone. This doesn't directly mean a partner or so, but it certainly touches that aspect too. There's a pleasing advantage to having someone who stands as an intimate moral and emotional support. Someone you can walk life and purpose with. It's such a beauty to be able to have that. Two partners who share dreams and values tend to be an encouragement to one another.

I consider singleness as a stage of finding oneself and carving out a future. It involves growth morally, purposefully, educationally, financially and even spiritually. This growth can continue even in a relationship, but as a single person, they do you good individually and also together in a relationship. For me, single life is a stage and a relationship is another. Both are important and should be utilised. None should be taken for granted. Well, you know my choice.

My entry for the IndiaUnited Contest.

Image is AI generated.

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