NEW YORK, NY – Liz, a 32-year-old woman living in New York City, has been feeling the pressure to settle down and have children. Her best friend and housemate, Maggie, acknowledges Liz’s concerns but wishes she would take a step back and relax. In a city where app dating is the norm, Liz is constantly chatting with potential partners, while Maggie takes breaks due to the exhausting nature of dating apps. Liz’s intense focus on finding a partner and starting a family has led her to regurgitate misinformation about fertility, according to Maggie.
Despite Liz’s obsession with dating, she also values her friendships. However, when she starts seeing someone, she tends to prioritize that relationship and neglect her friends. Maggie recalls a time when Liz was dating someone for three months and hardly saw her during that period. Although Maggie supports Liz and provides emotional support after failed dates, she also cautions Liz about becoming too invested in every new relationship.
Liz’s desire to have a baby before the age of 37 stems from her personal goals and experiences. She points out that her mother had her third child by that age, and she would love to have at least one child by then. Liz feels the pressure of her biological clock ticking and believes that being “all sorted” before 37 is important for her happiness.
Maggie, on the other hand, takes a more relaxed approach to dating. She believes in waiting for the right person to come along and is not fixated on a specific timeline. Maggie acknowledges that both she and Liz want children and a partner, but she emphasizes the importance of staying focused on oneself until the right person appears.
Ultimately, it is up to Liz to prioritize and pursue what makes her happy. While Maggie worries about Liz’s intense focus on finding a partner, she recognizes that Liz has the right to make her own choices. The jury of readers from The Guardian also expresses diverse opinions. Some advise Liz to take a step back and enjoy her existing life, while others support her pursuit of finding “the one.”
In conclusion, Liz’s preoccupation with dating and having a baby before 37 has led to differing opinions from her best friend and the jury of readers. While Maggie encourages Liz to relax and focus on herself, Liz believes that time is of the essence. The contrasting viewpoints highlight the complexities of balancing personal goals and societal expectations regarding relationships and starting a family.