i am 33.

so are many of my friends.

when we were little girls, we were told we could have it all.

as we grew, we were told that we should go to college, have careers, get our own bank accounts, and follow our dreams.

our moms still did the cooking and cleaning. but they also worked.

now we’re in our thirties.  some of us have children.  some of us don’t.  some of us are married. some of us are single.  but we all still want it all.

but,

it’s time for us to be okay with “all” being different for everyone so that articles like Single by Choice and My Secret Grief can be part of the conversation instead of issues of blame, guilt or competition.

it’s okay to be 30-something and sad that you don’t have a child, or rejoicing that you’re single, childless and climbing your career ladder, or living it up as a stay-at-home, or bummed that you’re divorced, or weirded out that you’re a grown-up, or tired of being a brides-maid, or thrilled to be planning your wedding, or still trying to find that career that fits you best.

we are not one-size-fits-all 30-something women.

we are far more.  and we are making our own way just the way we should.

so back off media.  quit sticking us into polarized categories of love or despair, child-free or hampered. we are all shades of awesome.