The Ups & Downs of Older Men

For the past year, I have endured the rollercoaster ride that is marriage. Now, I believe each and every relationship has its own ups and downs, but i've found myself in a very unique situation... My husband is 17 years older than me.

Now this may not seem like much to you (Yes, I know "Age is but a number"), but let me put it into perspective for you. When I got married I was 18, and my husband? you guessed it.. 35.

Now if you have an overactive imagination like myself, your mind is probably racing with all kinds of questions, such as:
Why did you get married so young?!?
Well, I think that story deserves its very own post, so keep an eye out for that, but in the mean time, right now I am here to give you the Pros and Cons of Marrying (or being with) someone significantly older.

Pros:

1. Maturity
   Ahhh yes the maturity!! Dating men my age was always a struggle because they always turned out to be too immature for my taste. One of the best parts about my husband being older is that he's already passed through his twenties, so he's already experienced parts of life that helped him grow up!

2. Experienced
   Now by experienced I mean many different things. Yes, he's experienced when it comes to the in's and out's of relationships, but he's also experienced professionally. He gives the best advice in regards to my job, and career. He's also experienced emotionally (this goes with maturity), he's able to express his thoughts and feelings effectively, which aids in communication (the key to relationships).

3. Stable
   Stability is something I don't have a lot of in my life. The fact that my husband is able to be there for me to fall back on at all times is so comforting, and really helps me go after my dreams.

4. Understanding
   Since my husband has been through all of the things 19 year olds go through himself, he understands! I don't find myself having to explain what I'm going through because he's experienced it! Now this also takes patience, so bless my husband (he's a saint) (I'm needy).

Now for the hard part...

Cons:

1. My family took it hard
   I'm from Central Texas, and I have a very close knit family. When I decided to be with my husband, my parents weren't exactly fond of the idea. I chose to be with him because he made me happy, but it has taken my family a long time to come around.

2. He's grown out of his Partying stage
   I'm 19, I love to go out with my friends and grab a bite. My husband would prefer to stay home with our fur babies and play Call of Duty. This will probably change a little when I'm 21 and able to drink (and get into clubs/bars). (I'll keep you updated!)

3. He's set in his ways
   Since my husband has already been #adulting a lot longer than I have, he has his routines set in stone (and let me tell you, the stone they're set in is a solid one). It's hard to get him to change his way of doing things. My parents always taught me to meet in the middle, and this has been nothing short of an uphill climb in my relationship.

4. I had to grow up FAST
   I've always been a little ahead of people my age when it comes to maturity, but 17 years is a big jump, and I really had to get myself into gear in order to make my relationship work. It would be nice to get to act my age once in a while, but I'm so blessed to have my husband, I wouldn't trade him for anything.

Well I hope I've given you some insight on what being with an Older Man is like!

Of course, there is a lot more to it than just this little glimpse. If you enjoyed this post, please comment and upvote and I will make more like it!!

See you tomorrow!! I'll be sharing some of my beauty secrets!!

xo- Claire