Hi @Crystal8, welcome to MSF. I think you are probably not at all alone in a) not having crossed that particular threshold at the supposed "normal" time, and b) bearing a burden related to the timeliness of rites of passage. The way you describe your experience is very compelling and relatable, in particular: "when it [a rite of passage, a life marker] doesn’t happen 'on time,' it can create a sense of being left behind or 'unfinished' or 'incomplete.'" It's interesting to compare this sense incompleteness with the bearing of a burden, as if the thing you're carrying is maybe a feeling of emptiness, a heavy burdensome but missing thing. I hope I'm not putting words in your mouth. I think that feeling of incompletion is tough given how it is wrapped up in masculinity. But just to say again: despite the "normal" arc that we expect, there are many variations. Probably it's harder to justify the "norm" itself than the exceptions.