It’s almost the season of family reunions here in the Philippines, and you know what that means for both singles and couples in a relationship–well-meaning relatives asking the age-old question, “When are you getting married?” Yes, we hit a certain age when the pressure of settling down just gets too real and you start thinking about whether you’re actually doing something wrong. Relax ladies, and read through these five reasons why it’s totally okay to take your time before saying “Yes”. If you can relate, comment down below and share your thoughts with us.

You become confident in what you want and don’t want.

Day in and day out, you’re faced with different things you need to decide on–what to eat for lunch, what to wear to work, what route to take to avoid traffic. These seemingly small choices actually train you to own up to your personal decisions, whether it produces a good or bad result. Developing this kind of mindset eventually prepares you for the major, life-altering decisions you’ll have to make in the future, like getting married. So take your time to build up your confidence, find out what you want and don’t want in a relationship, and in your partner, and enjoy the process.

You learn how to rely on yourself.

Remember the time when you successfully changed the flat tire of your car? Or that time you started your dream business? Doing things on your own is very empowering and now that your life isn’t committed to another person yet, you get to discover what you can and cannot do.

It builds character.

What you’ll bring to the table when you get married is your character, your stories, and your thirst for life. Go on adventures, read books, spend time with people, and invest on life experiences that will enrich your soul. So when the time comes for you to settle down, you’ll be able to say that you’ve lived the best life ever!

You get to grow your finances.

This is the time when you can enjoy your hard-earned money and decide where it goes. Will you save it, invest it, or spend it–it’s all up to you. You can even decide to set aside a portion of it for your future wedding fund so that when the day comes, you’ll be financially ready.

It’s a forever thing, what’s the rush?

Getting married is a choice. Waking up beside the same person and deciding to stay in love is a choice. And you must be very certain and confident that you can stand by your life choices until you’re gray and old. If you’re still unsure, don’t worry, there’s no rush. You’ll eventually figure it out. And hey, when the right moment comes, it will be so perfect, you’ll forget all about the long wait.