This 50 year-old grandmother did not let a 28 year age gap get in the way of her true love
A grandmother of three has found new love but her new partners age is raising a few eye brows.
Sharon Hawkins who is 50 years of age, met her partner Perry Hopstein on the dating app Tinder after she put her minimum age down as being 19, which means they have a 28-year age gap.
According to the couple, people often mistake Sharon as Perry's mother, but despite the controversy around their age gap from people, the pair are planning to marry this year.
Sharon, is a secondary school teacher from North Carolina, on the public backlash over her relationship with Perry, Sharon says that she simply ignores the critics.
Sharon said:
I may be old enough to be Perry's mother, but I won't let that stop me from chasing happiness. Perry and I know we're meant to be together and we don't care what other people think.
When asked what she had in common with someone 28 years younger than her, Sharon explained:
My ex-husband, who was a similar age to me, was great at first. In the last year of our relationship, I found myself stealing glances at men in their 20s whenever we went out. I vowed to find someone more suited to my spontaneous personality
After her failed marriage, Sharon joined Tinder a decision that she does not regret!
I'd lowered the age range down to 19. I scanned Perry's profile and realised he was 22, which made him 28 years younger than me. He was also younger than my three kids. Perry had piercing blue eyes, brown hair and muscular arms. He looked like a model. I told him how I was a grandmother but he didn't care.
During the next few days of matching on Tinder, Sharon and Perry flirted back-and-forth over messages, before she ended up inviting him over to her house.
She said:
He was even sexier in real life. Even though we had such a large age gap, Perry was an old soul. We had a deep connection. Thankfully, my 23-year-old daughter who lives with me was fine with it.
Things seemingly have been going well because the following week, Perry went to Sharon's house to cook dinner for her and her daughter, but a week later, their doubts got the better of them about their age gap and they stopped seeing each other.
But even though this happened, they still stayed in touch every day and after a few months, they realised they missed each other and carried on dating.
Mid year, around June 2020, they officially became a couple.
Sharon says:
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Perry moved in with me straight away. It was fast, but I was the happiest I'd ever been and it just felt right. My friends all called me a cougar, it was hilarious. Admittedly, sexually, mine and Perry's age gap was a kink. But it wasn't just about that. He was romantic too, surprising me with hot oil massages and filling the house with red rose petals constantly. He made me feel so special.
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