Blunt life questions

Today, on our way home from the playground, my niece asked me out of the blue: Why aren’t you married yet?

For a second, I stopped dead in my tracks. Why was she asking me such a blunt question, a question that I grapple with more times than I care to admit? (Not necessarily about the “being married” part per se, but more in general about my relationship status.)

I answered: Well, I guess I haven’t met the right person yet. Or maybe I’ll never get married. Some couples decide to get married, others don’t. Both are valid life choices. There are many different ways of living and being.

My 5-year-old niece accepted the answer and consequently turned the conversation over to dinosaurs.