19 year old women missionaries

I cannot believe how much controversy is going around ever since President Monson announced the new age for girls to serve a mission. I figured since everyone else is talking about it, what the heck, why don't I add my two cents. And I realize that I may receive some rebuttal for talking about this issue but I don't care. I was reading an article earlier and a woman responded saying how she wished that this would have been announced a few years ago. This woman had always wanted to go on a mission but then got married at the age of 21. She said,

"I got married at 21. I was a year away from graduating college so I was going to wait for that before I went on a mission, and instead I got married right before my senior year. Now I am one of those women who look to her husband for answers to things I could have learned for myself. I ask him about the miracles he witnessed. I rely on him in most everything. I would be a much stronger woman today if I had served a mission for myself."

I highly disagree with this woman. First, you chose to get married instead of going on a mission. If you wanted to go on a mission that bad, then you shouldn't have gotten married. Simple as that.

Second, just because your husband served a mission does not mean that you have to go to your husband for answers to everything. A mission doesn't change you. God changes you. Sure, I agree that there are opportunities you will have on a mission that you can't gain anywhere else. However, I do believe that for women, the things you can learn from a mission, you can learn them elsewhere. Quit wallowing away saying that you always have to go to your husband for things you could have learned for yourself. Go learn them then. If you really want to learn something for yourself: study, fast, pray. Stop feeling like you're not entitled to a testimony of your own. I rely on my husband for most everything as well but it's not because he served a mission. It's because we are a team and I like to hear his thoughts and opinions.

Third,  miracles happen every day. You don't have to go on a mission to witness miracles. Faith precedes the miracle, not a mission precedes the miracle.

Lastly, I don't feel that I am any less of a woman or that I don't have as strong of a testimony just because I didn't serve a mission. I have found my testimony and have been converted through other life experiences.

My goodness, I'm passionate about this. I understand that that's the way this woman feels and maybe she regrets that she didn't go on a mission. But stop feeling sorry for yourself. Move on. Ask questions. Be smart. Our prophet is a pretty inspired man and I think if God wanted this announcement to be made a few years ago, He probably would've. Maybe you weren't meant to go on a mission since you got married. So how about you focus on the life you have now and what you can learn from it and stop thinking about what could have been.