A woman dating a man who is 23 years older has shared why she “couldn’t care less’ what others think about her relationship.
Twenty-six-year-old Maisy Smith from Moseley, Birmingham, has been dating Cy Tunnicliff, 49, for a year.
The pair met through a mutual friend.
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Maisy was on a night out with her friend when they bumped into Cy, who was her friend’s boxing coach at the time.
Almost immediately they felt a connection but decided the age difference wasn’t “practical,” and went their separate ways.
But they kept bumping into each other and eventually decided to act on their feelings.
“We have both admitted that we felt something about each other when we first met,” Maisy, who works as a property manager, told What’s The Jam.
“A feeling struck straight away.
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“Weeks went by and I bumped into him again at a venue where he was working part-time as a doorman and PT at the time.
“Cy and I got chatting and decided we had so much in common, so we arranged a date and the rest is history.”
At the beginning, the couple were both slightly apprehensive on introducing one another to their families.
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She said: “We are free spirits and love is love at the end of the day.
“What will be will be and the universe has a plan for us all.
“We both have supportive friends and families, nobody was surprised or had any negative feedback.”
Despite their loved ones being supportive, strangers online and offline have not been quite as kind.
She said: “We make each other so happy and believe one another is our soul mate, so life is very easy and simple.
“I’d say the only negativity is strangers, as we all know in this day and age strangers love to have an opinion on anything which goes against the social norm.
“But we couldn’t care less what anyone else has to say, we respect each other totally.
“When people mention our 23-year-age gap, I say love is love, and that’s just the maths.
“We have so much love and respect for each other that nothing else matters.”
In 2021, before they got together, Cy suffered a “life-changing” stroke and came out believing he has a “second chance at life” – which is part of why he is determined to follow his heart, no matter other people’s opinions.
She said: “The hospital saved his life, they worked on him for half an our to bring him back.
“He had to rebuild his life from scratch, personally and health-wise, he lost his sight in one eye and the ability to walk.
“Thankfully, he has made a full recovery and people are amazed when we tell them he has suffered a stroke just three years ago.
“This is his second chance at life so the societal norms and criticism from others doesn’t phase him.”
The couple moved in together in January this year and hope to relocate abroad in coming years.
Maisy added: “We are very happy and work full-time jobs.
“We plan on eventually relocating to Spain or Thailand in the near future.“One thing Cy has taught me is to live life to the fullest.
“We are taking on any opportunities that come our way and want to spend our lives together.
“Only you know your own relationship so other people’s advice and opinions aren’t ever valid.
“If everything is consensual and each one of you are ‘of age’ it should never concern others.
“I believe I have learnt what true love is, as will you.”
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