You’d think the uncomfortable time would be now.
I can see a world in which a 37-year-old wants kids, and the 27-year-old isn’t ready. Some steps are easier to take before you get well into your 40s.
That aside, this could be pretty easy, especially if he’s the kind of 27-year-old who knows what he wants.
It is worth asking: are you falling in love with him as he is now? Or do you assume you’re investing in a version of him that will evolve and mature? If you can say you like him as is, this really does sound wonderful.
Of course, if you stay together there will be moments when you notice the gap. This happens with any kind of age difference, in any kind of relationship. I experience this with younger friends all the time. A few years ago I brought up the Bruce Hornsby song “Mandolin Rain” to some companions who are about eight years younger. It’s not like I’m a massive Bruce Hornsby fan; I was just mentioning the song. They had no idea what I was talking about, so I played it for them, and there was no recognition. They knew the song “The Way It Is,” a bigger hit, and that was the end of their Hornsby list.
For about 20 seconds I thought, “Oh, I am quite a bit older.” This was not a real problem, just a difference. (They were equally stunned to know I was too old to have watched the cartoon “Doug.”)
Some people may pause when they realize your partner is younger, but that might be sexism. For the most part, people don’t blink when it’s a 10-year age gap and a man is older, right? Brush it all off. Enjoy yourself.
– Meredith
Readers? Can you share experiences? If this were a gender-flipped question, would we be getting the question at all? (We might. Just asking.)
Send your own anonymous question here. When you ask a question, you help others wondering the same thing.
