Age gap relationships - 34F and 54M - How can we make it work?

[Birdsunsetwatcher101]

I'm 34F and I have been in love with my friend who is 54M, for many years. We are actually both in love with each other and we want to make our relationship work before we tell our friends and family. We have had a close friendship for many years - originally our parents knew each other - they weren't super close friends but were friends.

My question for everyone out there who has a large age gap - what did you do to make your relationship work?

A bit of background - we are both hard working people, we work long hours in our respective jobs, I have two jobs - I own/operate a business and also have a 2nd job in office administration. I LOVE my jobs. He supports me with my work as he is very proud of what I do.
I am financially independent as he is as well. I do suffer from a few physical health issues which have been very trying at times personally, but never once has he been frustrated by them - he happily drives me to any drs appointments or listens/comforts me when I am in pain and feeling miserable. He never makes me feel less of a person.
We are both very honest with each other about our likes and dislikes.
We admitted our feelings for each other 1.5 years ago and at that time we were committed to taking it slow as we were working in very different parts of the country. It has been great actually.
No one atm suspects it as we have always been friends so we do not have to cope with rude comments from people.

Now we are getting more serious so we plan to start telling people eventually.

Also, children is not on my to-do list so there is no risk of that happening. He has an adult son who is younger than me (about 22) and he is actually ok with us. We seem to get on quite well. 

And for those wondering - my parents were 40 when I was born so technically I grew up with older parents - despite our age gap there is only 8 years between his and mine parents - his parents are 80 and mine are 72 - well my Mum is - my Dad passed away when I was 18 and she has never remarried.
So does anyone have any advice for us about our relationship together? We are very both committed to being together.

[Ami1uwant]

 My sister was in a relationship like this ( 20 yrs ago)  At the time, she was around your age, maybe a little younger..maybe around 30 when they dated.  They knew each other through a large social group. I don’t recall the details of why it ended, but the relationship ended.  They still remained friends. I think the age difference might have played a role in it. A few years he ago he died from I think Parkinson’s/ dementia.

 

my parents didn’t have an issue with it. They had known the guy before they started dating.her social network had a variety of she’s from younger than her to people older than them

 

 

 

 

[Gebidozo]

I’m 50 and my partner is 32.

We don’t really notice the age difference. When we do, it mostly has a positive effect. She finds many men her age immature and says older men tend to have more integrity and be stronger spiritually and emotionally.

Age gap can be a serious issue when one of the partners is very young. The older you are, the less of an issue it is. I think that 18 and 28, for example, is a much more dangerous age gap than 34 and 54.

[Medeguy]

3 hours ago, Gebidozo said:

I’m 50 and my partner is 32.

We don’t really notice the age difference. When we do, it mostly has a positive effect. She finds many men her age immature and says older men tend to have more integrity and be stronger spiritually and emotionally.

Age gap can be a serious issue when one of the partners is very young. The older you are, the less of an issue it is. I think that 18 and 28, for example, is a much more dangerous age gap than 34 and 54.

Romance

 

Its only dangerous when it turns into an actual relationship. For casual sex, its common and norma between 18 and 28 year olds. Even between 18 and much older people than 28.