True, about them possibly ending up alone, but I prefer to focus on the happiness you could have had before...nothing lasts forever, nothing is guaranteed, and you never know when your time is up. The younger person could die first, or just end the relationship. My uncle was younger than his wife and he dropped dead of a heart attack last year, we never even knew he was sick. So now she's the one left all alone...

All this "what if" stuff is stuff, if both parties agree to it, and you're both legal, what is the problem? Seize the day and all that ****.

I have mixed feelings about this.

My Dad remarried a very nice lady that was as much older as you are from your partner.

In the early years she and he were very compatible. And I know he loved her greatly. In the beginning it was no big deal.

But while he was still middle age and would have given his eye teeth to continue the healthy an active life including a "private life" she pretty much became his room mate leaving him a big hole in his life that he respectfully endured.

And as she aged she developed major health issues that meant years of caregiving that he willingly gave precluding him meeting anyone who might have actually enjoyed the retirement he worked 60 years between his two careers to earn.

Then while he was ageing he was alone and I believe incredibly lonely. I will always believe that is the biggest reason his health declined because he was lost without his mate.

We can pretend that seniors can date and find new companions but the reality is it rarely happens and when one mate is significantly younger they usually end up alone and more or less forgotten. Even if they are lucky enough to live with attentive families it is still very tough. Especially since too often the circle of friends becomes the age of the oldest spouse and they also die off.

I think the "what if" stuff is something to think about. Its nice to seize the day but one should still exercise caution. Gold diggers; both men and women are on the rise and we need to stay cautious about that. Also to me; my family and friends are important and they care dearly for me so I know they would show concern for my lack of judgement if I dated a much younger man. I would equally be concerned if a much younger woman hit on my brothers and yes I would interfere as I don't want to see them get hurt.

Actually, he is 59 and she is 48. Just to clarify.

She says she is 59 not 48 where do you get this reversed?

Sorry to disagree. You are imposing your attitude and preferences with respect to age difference on others. In addition, you are undermining other peoples intelligence by suggesting they are allowing themselves to be won over by gold diggers. I agree that should you have concerns, as a family member or close friend, you should express them but don't be too quick to judge and condemn people, their motives for marriage are most likely to be well founded in love for each other. What works for some people does not work for others, we are all different.

You can disagree all you want. I am not imposing anything here; just giving my opinion. Common sense should tell you to beware of the motives of a much younger person taking an interest in you. You would be shocked of how many young people bilk an older person out of money, especially with marriage. I have friends with the police that work with fraud and these days especially with the Recession; it is sky rocketing.

Men your own age can hurt you too.
It should be the man himself that matters not his age.Like somebody else already pointed out at 48 he is not a kid, he is a grown man so hopefully he is also mature, and maturity matters far more than age.
Don't overthink it, just enjoy today, tomorrow may not come.

Of course gold diggers exist, and they are not all young people exploiting older folk, and yes you need to be cautious when starting any relationship. You need to give people credit for some intelligence to know if they are becoming involved with someone with a hidden agenda, irrespective of how old they are, and whatever the age difference. Dating someone much younger/older is not showing a lack of judgement in my opinion, but you clearly think it is.

Really? So, you think these 40 to 50 year old men that take on a 14 or 16 year old wife is good judgement? Then I guess I was wrong about what I said as clearly age doesn't matter.

No. I am saying it is not showing any lack of judgement, they have a freedom of choice within the law. Who is to say whether it is a good or bad judgement, you?

Providing two people are both able to marry within the law, and want to marry each other, age difference does not matter in my opinion.

You are either judging them on what does and does not work for you in a relationship, or some conventional wisdom that says to marry outside some specified limits on age difference means it is due to fail? If two people fall in love, age difference does not matter in my opinion providing they are both able to marry. Your example of age 14 to 16 marrying someone 40 to 50 years old seems a bit extreme even if it is legal in some countries, but if that is their wish and of their free will, then age difference does not matter to them in my opinion, so their age difference does not matter to me.

I have recently met a wonderful man but there is a big age difference.He is 48 I'm 59. He is a wonderful person and as we converse we find more and more in common.The age does worry me though he says not to worry.I do seem to be attracted to younger people all my life.This relationship just seems so right but moving very quickly.Please give me any experience you all may have had with this.
Love struck