In this episode, my friend Janie and I chat about what it’s like to grow up in Utah and not be married by your mid 20s. The reason I felt like this was an important topic is because it is not uncommon by any means for people to be married right out of High School and have all their kids by the time they’re 25. I know in other states and cultures, this is weird.. Why would you get married at 18/19? You haven’t even lived yet, etc. This is just how our culture and society is. So Janie at 25, living in Utah and still not married.. She does face some challenges and discomfort.*

Janie is the youngest of 5, the surprise baby – the one that came 5 years after her parents thought they were done having kids. Her oldest sister is 12 years older than her and married as a late teenager, as well as her other two sisters. Her brother served an LDS mission and was married at 22. Janie was an aunt by age 7 and has always felt this weird in between feeling.

Many people ask Janie over and over why she is not married yet. She says the first couple of times, she can just brush it off, but when the questions keep coming — that’s when she starts to feel insecure and like something is wrong with her.

We talk about how it’s hard to keep up with your friends when they’re in totally different stages of life than you – marriage, kids, etc. We talk about her plans for her future, grad school and more.

Listen to the full episode to hear all the details.

*Please note: this is the guest’s story. Their story is how they perceive it. It is not my judgement or responsibility to determine whether or not this story and the things said are true. Please be open minded when listening to/reading these stories.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:
-Be friends with everyone.
-Go to every dance with a different person.
-Don’t ask “when are you getting married?” over and over. The person is already fully aware of their situation, in most cases, and it can be just as offensive as asking someone “when are you going to have kids?”

LINKS TO THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
–Ways to ask a girl on a date via Pinterest
–Janie’s photography business
–Late with Kate Instagram
-Janie’s favorite book: The Secret Journal of Brett Colton
-Janie’s favorite thing: creaseless hair ties, DoTerra’s Past Tense and On Guard oil blends
–Elder Worthlin talk about “Come What May, and Love It”
–Tara Thueson Instagram
–Braun Thueson Instagram
–Gratitude journals
-Janie’s song recommendation: Give by You Me at Six (listen on the Hard Knock guest list on Spotify)
–Janie’s Instagram
-Ending song: Beach Town by Chase Rice (listen on the Hard Knocks playlist on Spotify)

The way people treat you is a statement of who they are as a human being, not a statement about you.

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