an unmarried woman

if you follow me on social media, you know recently that i bought a new house, 😂. i am 100% unashamed of how much i have posted about it...and i will explain why below.

i grew up in a childhood where all of the females were married and had kids before the age of 30. they bought homes with their significant other, had either careers or were stay at home moms, etc. i was proud and so incredibly excited for each and every one of them. i loved going to the bridal and baby showers, the weddings, the house warmings, etc. i figured, since they had all "started their life" before the age of 30, i would too. it was just a matter of time before it was my turn to find my "happily every after"

i found myself at age 26, single, no kids, no house, no prospects. i kept thinking "when will life start for me?"

now, i find myself at age 29, and realize it already did.

you see, after the example of "married, family, and house before age of 30" is set before you by the women in your life, you automatically assume that is how life works. and when it doesnt, is when the thief of joy (comparison) swoops in and steals your happiness. every break up feels 1000 times worse. every failed offer on a house feels 1000 times worse. sometimes, even when you get your period, your thought process is "i dont have many of these eggs left. another one bites the dust." (sorry if that was TMI, but its true).

after 3 and a half years of house searching, and many break ups later, at age 29 i found myself crying on the bed after my 7th house offer was rejected. i truly thought i was spiraling downward, and worried about falling into another depression.

and then i found the home on forestville road.

the most beautiful oasis i ever did see. i will not bore you with details of the house and the home buying process, but if you want to know the story (its actually really cool), i can tell you about it sometime over wine or coffee.

needless to say, the home is perfect. the seller was a dream. the due diligence period was seamless. the appraisal was perfect. and the entire process was nothing short of enjoyable.

at closing, i was looking at the documents i needed to sign, and it said it RIGHT THERE,

Name: Annie Laurie McGee
Gender: Female
Marital Status: An Unmarried Woman

not "single," not "N/A" not just "unmarried" it said an unmarried woman.

that line hit me so weird. i said something about it at my closing to the attorney. i said, "oh. hahaha, instead of single it says, 'an unmarried woman.'" The closing attorney said, "Oh, yeah. That is such a weird way of saying it. I am so sorry. Some lenders use different phrases. I hope it doesnt offend you."

i thought it was so weird to state Gender as Female, and then as marital status "an unmarried woman." why do you ask for my gender if you are going to state i am an unmarried woman right after? for men, do they have "an unmarried man" I wonder? I am actually very curious to know if they do. is it more of a liability if its an unmarried woman vs an unmarried male? (the world may never know...)

i responded back with, "actually, i like the way it sounds. i like it phrased that way. lets keep going."

i am an unmarried woman who has the ability to buy herself a home. i was able to get through college, 3 different jobs/companies, live on my own for over 10 years, and save up enough money to buy my own house without a man.

can i just stop and be excited about that thought for a second? whenever i think again of the phrase, an unmarried woman i just wanna scream with excitement now. all i can think of is "I AM WOMAN HEAR ME ROAR!!!"

i am a strong, independent woman. i have been able to do all of this without another human being. i dont need a spouse in order to start my happily ever after. of course, that is not to say i dont ever want to get married and have kids, but through this process i have seen that God is the only one i need. HE is the power behind my ability to not need anyone else in this life. Sure, a lot of things would have been easier with a spouse. helping choose a home, figure out how to make an offer on a home, packing up all the items in my house, figuring out what to toss and what to keep, picking up items for the new house, helping to pay for the home inspections, the cost of the down payment, designing the space, and painting (LORD THE PAINTING, ughhh).

sure. all of that would have been easier with someone beside me. and i do have a great boyfriend right now who has been helping with my errand running, and a sister who has already helped me begin to paint, and i am so incredibly happy and appreciative of the help during this time. but its different. its different to go through something like this on your own, when you thought the only way to do it was with a husband.

i love learning and experiencing these types of revelations in my life.

if you are an unmarried woman, i encourage you to go to your nearest mirror, and look into it at yourself. say out loud, "i am an unmarried woman. and look at how far i have come on my own. i am strong, i am powerful, i am able to do anything i want. i am enough. i am my own happily ever after."

i love you all. so very much. and if you are a struggling unmarried woman, lets chat :) i want to encourage you and show you your strength. and that you are enough.