11 Beautiful Things That Happen When You Fall In Love With Someone Older Than You

1. You suddenly see your life paved out in front of you, magical and terrifying and new. And that excites and scares you. Suddenly you aren’t that little kid, stumbling around and trying to figure out what life means. You see this person’s future and your future, entangled yet independent, and it gives you a sense of calm rather than fear. You’re going to figure this out. You’re going to be okay. You are not alone.

2. You learn the value of family. You’ve always loved your family, but loving someone older than you makes your realize how much family really matters. When you’re young, you’re hell-bent on being independent. As you get older, you don’t necessarily rely on family in the same way, but your emotional bond becomes stronger. And when you fall in love with someone a few years your senior, who has this mature, deep relationship with his/her family, you become not only closer with your own, but with theirs, which is such a blessing.

3. You become more independent. This person loves you, and is secure in himself/herself enough to let you be you. They won’t be the type to let petty jealousies or insecurities ruin your relationship. They will allow you to blossom, to make your own decisions, and to follow your dreams. The difference? They’ll be right alongside you.

4. You’ll begin to believe in fairy tales. Which isn’t as cheesy as you think. When you fall in love with someone who’s older than you, you start to believe in things like happily ever afters, princesses/prince charmings, and happy weddings. Your future life isn’t this faraway concept anymore—it’s right in front of you—and that’s magical.

5. You find a healthy balance between rational and spontaneous. Being young means jumping at opportunities and not being afraid to fail. Growing up means being rational and not taking ridiculous risks. In a relationship with someone who is older, you discover that in-between area. You mellow out in healthy ways, but you energize your partner in positive ways, creating a couple that lives life on the edge…but always has a backup plan.

6. You bring out the absolute best in one another. Everything youthful and confident in you inspires the mature and wise in your significant other. You compliment one another, balance one another, and encourage growth in one another. This is beautiful.

7. You learn the value of being young. In this relationship, you learn to appreciate your drive, your passion, your energy. Not only do you bring these qualities out in others, especially your SO, but you appreciate them within yourself. Your relationship builds your self-confidence and self-worth.

8. You become more responsible…kind of. Falling in love with someone older than you won’t change your entire life, but because of your SO’s stage of life, you’ll unconsciously become more responsible. Whether that’s financially or just in the day to day obligations, this is good for you. But don’t worry, you’ll still be that crazy kid underneath it all.

9. You learn the value of forgiveness and friendship. Growing up means understanding the value of a true friend, it means heartbreak, and it means letting go of things that don’t go your way. These are powerful lessons that you learn when you fall in love with someone older than you. You see the pain they’ve gone through, and you feel it so deeply because you love that person. Because of this, you see the value of forgiving others and finding and being a genuine friend.

10. You learn to trust. Trust is everything. And someone who has a few years on you knows the value of being loyal. They will not only inspire you to be a dependable SO, but will mend any previous fears or pain from your past. Someone who is older has most likely been hurt—they will understand how hard it is to trust. But you will learn to trust together, and thus have a powerful, unbreakable bond.

11. You see what’s truly important. And that’s people, memories, values, passions, and love. Falling for someone older than you means that you found someone with a good head on his/her shoulders, someone who loves you deeply, someone who sees a future with you, and someone who knows what really matters in life. What a blessing your relationship is.