Photo Credit: Instagram @stephaniecoker
The difference in age has always been a major deciding factor in relationships because people have obsessed over the stigma that society has placed over it for a long time but the truth is that you cannot help who you fall in love with, no matter how hard you try to be in control of your emotions.
It does not matter if you fall in love with someone that you are 11 years or even a year older than. All that matters is that love is truly evident in the relationship and that emotions will follow their natural course.
Here are ways to ensure that age does not hinder you from finding love:
Maturity
Be mature in all that you do; maturity is not an addendum for old age but it comes from the experience you have faced in life and how you handled and survived it.
Like Minds
Be on the same page and ensure that you want the same thing out of life. Just because your partner is a decade older than you does not mean that he/she knows any better than you.
Happiness
In every relationship, happiness is one of the most important desires; be happy with whoever you choose to spend the rest of your life with because just like maturity, happiness does not have the age factor. You and your partner might have 20 years between you and still very much be as happy as those that have just 2 years between them.
Open Mind
Have an open mind; because that is the only way you can find true love; don’t limit your dream partner to any age bracket, just be very careful and look out for that special someone with whom you share a perfect emotion.
Loyalty
Be willing to stand by your partner through it all. Especially when you are faced with disapproval from your family, friends, and society at large. Be ready to handle every criticism that comes your way.
Reciprocal Respect
Do not take every opportunity you get to bring up the age difference between you. Once you have chosen your partner, age does not matter as respect should be reciprocal in relationships.
Show Love
Have a lover to lover dynamic; do not be in a relationship where you are made to feel like a mentor/mentee or a trainer/trainee.
A lot of couples have a tangible relationship going on even with big differences in age. Would you ever be in a relationship with someone younger or older than you?