A friend recently shared a story with me, one that lingered in my mind long after she finished speaking. We had been chatting idly, the kind of late-afternoon conversation that drifts between topics without urgency, when I asked her, "Have you ever experienced anything that has completely shifted your perspective on how you viewed life or fate? Something that stayed with you forever?"
She hesitated for a moment, then smiled softly. "I think there are a few, but some carry more weight than others"
"Hmm, Do you mind sharing some with me?" I asked. Interest danced in my eyes as I envisioned a chapter for my book.
"How about I tell you about my Aunt? You'll probably like this one."
Her aunt had been an amazing person and role model in their lives. Everyone in the family loved her and most children looked up to her. She was the ultimate female boss. But as amazing as she was, there was something that made her aunt the target of Whispered conversations in hushed tones, worried glances, and well-meaning (but ultimately condescending) advice…
She was unmarried at thirty-nine. Where we're from, thirty-nine is an age that makes people talk. A woman at that age, without a husband, becomes a topic of dinner conversations and the lady women warn their young daughters not to become. People have opinions— way too many of them—and they aren't shy about sharing them.
It's funny how society has these unspoken rules that we must abide by, and failure to do so, we are seen as an outcast. I've always wondered why women are judged by their marital status. It's like their worth is tied to whether or not they have a ring on their finger. It's ridiculous. (At least to me). Now, some say a woman doesn't necessarily need a man to be fulfilled, and that's true in many ways. But life, I've learned, is not so black and white. Companionship, love, and partnership—these things matter. They do not define a woman, but they can add to her happiness in ways society often fails to recognize with nuance.
My friend sighed as she recalled the family meetings. "They talked about my aunt endlessly. Some whispered their concerns in private, others spoke more openly. It wasn't just that she was unmarried—it was that cousins, nieces, even younger siblings were settling down before her. Some were already raising children, building their legacies, while she remained... waiting."
The pressure on her Aunt was immense. It's like everyone had a say in her life… well, except her, because she was seen as the topic of discussion. It was like she was a project to be solved, not a person living her own life, on her own terms.
I remember thinking about this after my friend told me the story. How easily we judge others based on their timelines, their milestones, their perceived "successes." We create these arbitrary benchmarks for what life "should" look like, forgetting that everyone's journey is different. We forget that sometimes, the most beautiful flowers bloom late.
I could hear the echoes of those discussions, the well-meaning but intrusive voices that often plague women who do not follow the expected timeline of life. As if marriage is something one simply picks up from a store shelf when the time seems right.
And then, when perhaps even she had started to accept her fate, something changed. Fate intervened—or maybe it had simply been waiting for its moment.
"At thirty-nine, my aunt met a man. Or rather, a man found her," my friend continued. "A kind, gentle man who saw her not as a "spinster," but as the incredible woman she was. Their courtship was a whirlwind romance. Within a year, they were married.
That alone would have been enough to silence the whispers, but fate wasn't finished yet. Within a year of marriage, her aunt gave birth to triplets. Triplets! It was like the universe was saying, "Hold on, you haven't seen anything yet!"
A woman who had been labelled unlucky, pitied for her loneliness, was suddenly the centre of every family gathering. Only this time, the stories had changed, she was adored and admired.
"And then, as if life wanted to drive the point home and as if it wasn't enough," my friend said, leaning in slightly, within three years of their marriage, her husband secured a fantastic job opportunity. One that came with a visa to Canada. A dream for so many. And it fell into their laps, seemingly effortlessly. It's crazy how life throws curveballs at you. Just when you think you have it all figured out, something comes along and turns everything on its head.
My friend paused, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Does this resonate with you?"
I nodded, my mind racing. It definitely does. It makes you question everything. All those times we compare ourselves to others, all those moments of self-doubt and insecurity… What was it all for?
I sat with the weight of her words. The irony was sharp.
It's like that old saying: "Life is a marathon, not a sprint." But even that feels inadequate. What takes some people years of careful planning, saving, and strategizing had fallen into her aunt's lap in just three years. A woman who had been seen as 'lagging' was suddenly further ahead than many who had been married for over a decade. It was as if fate had been playing its own quiet game, waiting for the right moment to move the pieces, finding new ways to give jealousy a new definition through her Aunt and her family.
After she told me this story, I found myself reflecting. I thought about the pressure we put on ourselves, and on others—the invisible timelines we create and judge people by. How quickly we are to declare someone 'falling behind' when, in truth, no one knows what life has in store for them.
It really is true what they say about life's starting points. Just because you were lucky enough to start first does not mean you'll reach the finish line first. Life is not a race, and even if it were, the track isn't the same for everyone. Some journeys are straightforward. Others take unexpected turns.
Life is full of surprises, twists, and turns. It's unpredictable, messy, and often unfair. But it's also beautiful, full of hope, and brimming with possibilities. And sometimes, the best things in life come to those who wait. Or, perhaps more accurately, to those who never give up on themselves, even when the world tells them they should. And other times, the person you thought was lagging was simply waiting for their season to arrive.
"I used to think life was about making all the right moves at the right time. But now, I realize—sometimes, the best moves are the ones life makes for you." Her Aunt's story is a testament to that. And it's a story I won't soon forget.
Thanks for sharing this beautiful story with us, L.