I've been thinking a lot recently about the stigma associated with marriage, the "marriage-will-end-your-life" stigma.

And, I am here to tell you that this is 100% true. Your life does come to an end. Here are some reasons why:

1. You cannot be that notorious flirt you once were with every person you think is cute.

2. You shouldn't be telling your BFFs everything about your relationship now you're married.

3. Your future plans now involve another human being, and this could be an inconvenience because #WannaTravelSomewhereAwesome.

4. Your money isn't your money anymore. Yeah, those shoes you want? Reconsider that $100 purchase.

Do you remember when you first got your driver's license? You would look back and think, "How did I ever live without being able to do things on my own? What was life without driving and freedom?!"

Even though you had fun before you could drive, driving made your life so much better. This is comparable to the new chapter of life which is marriage.

Chapters in our lives inevitably end like high school, college, your first career, your first apartment and so on. Chapters end. Parts of our lives end. Finito. Complete. And thank goodness several stages have seen their end (like my plastic bead wearing days ... thinking about it still makes me cringe!). That's how life is.

BUT, marriage blossoms a whole, new, elevated life that is better than the one before (much like getting that license of yours!). And, the best parts that make you, you, do not come to an end at all. All those goals and dreams? Yeah, you can still do them.

So, to all those girls who married young, I apologize for judging you and for thinking you were "ending your life" because I now know the typical stigma associated with that phrase is in fact very wrong, highly erroneous and completely fictitious.

And, to all those people who asked why in the world I was getting married, I did it because I was more than ready to end those other parts of my life for my new life with my husband because the beautiful union that is marriage is just the beginning.