• That marriage is a must for every woman.

• That I must be married before 25, and anything after that should cause me depression.

• That I must be a slave to my husband, his family, or my marriage.

• That I should lose myself, my spark, my dreams, and my source of income just because I am married.

• That I should be the only one responsible for the house chores, cooking, and taking care of the home, even when my husband is available and less busy.

• That I shouldn’t address my husband by his name because he is the “husband.”

• That I shouldn’t gift or do something special for my husband just because he is the “husband.”

• That I should go through pregnancy alone because he is busy with work and I shouldn’t disturb him.

• That I should go through labour and baby’s stress alone.

• That I should be responsible for giving him a particular gender. Na me dey create?

• That I should always cook. (Kiloshey take-out once in a while?)

• That I should suffer in marriage just so my children will be successful. (My children will be successful no matter what.)

• That I should accept insults, violence, oppression, or disrespect just because he is my husband.

• That I should endure cheating because “men are naturally polygamous.”

• That I should forgive repeatedly without seeing genuine change.

• That I should remain silent whenever something hurts me just to keep the peace.

• That I should stay in an unhappy or toxic marriage because of “What will people say?”

• That I should accept the bare minimum because “at least he provides.”

• That my worth as a woman is determined by whether I am married or have children.

• That being financially independent makes me disrespectful or difficult to control.

• That I should watch my husband struggle when I know I can help him, or refuse to help simply because “a man should provide.”

• That I should always choose marriage over my happiness, safety, identity, and self-respect.

Some things are just out of it. 😒

Marriage this, marriage that...