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Couple with 26-year age gap reveal 'unexpected key to successful relationship'

A couple with a 26-year age gap have spoken about the secret to how they make their relationship work and how their families responded to the news of their love

[Sundari and Maxi]

A woman with a boyfriend 26 years her junior has spoken about the key to their relationship(Image: @elamorestemporal/Instagram)

A 61-year-old woman who is dating a man, 35, has shared the unexpected ingredient which makes their relationship a success - and it's not what many people may think.

Age gap relationships have been happening for generations. However, there has occasionally been stigma aimed at people where there is a large difference in age, especially if the woman is older than the man.

Sundari, a mother-of-two with a 26-year age gap between herself and her boyfriend, has said that her sons, 29 and 33, were very accepting of her new partnership.

Sundari, who had two children with her previous partner, met Maxi at a cacao ceremony, a ritual where people drink pure cacao, 18 months ago.

From there the pair's relationship blossomed and the duo, both from Argentina, are still together. The secret to their success is seemingly the fact they both live apart and only see each other at weekends.

Speaking to TN, Sundari, a wellbeing coach based in Pilar, said the fact Maxi, who lives in the city of Avellaneda with his mother, is around 40 miles away in a different part of the country helps give each other space.

She said: "Plans might come up during the week, but we mostly see each other at the weekends. I like it this way. I like having my own time. I was married and lived with my partner for 20 years. I've never lived with anyone since, and I love having a boyfriend."

[Sundari and Maxi ]

Sundari and Maxi have been together for 18 months (Image: @elamorestemporal/Instagram)

Sundari explained how it worked. She said: "On Saturdays, Maxi comes round and stays with us until Monday. During the week, we send each other lots of little love messages in the morning and before bed. We're very respectful of each other's time. It's lovely to see each other again at the weekend.""

Speaking to TN, the pair spoke about what it was like when they first met each other at the cacao gathering that Sundari was leading and which Maxi had been invited to by a cousin.

Maxi said his strong and intense feelings for Sundari started not long after he first saw her. He added: "When I arrived, she was singing. Afterwards, we chatted for a while, and I asked for her Instagram. Her presence blew me away. I loved watching her sing.

"Then we started talking about our lives, and at one point she told me how old she was. I thought she was 45. When she told me she was 60, it didn't cross my mind at all. No sense of rejection. On the contrary, I felt even more enthusiastic. I thought: 'Wow, I can't believe it'."

What has been beautiful about the pair's relationship for them is the fact they've had the support of their respective families with Maxi saying his mother was very accepting.

[Sundari and Maxi]

Sundari and Maxi(Image: @elamorestemporal/Instagram)

He said: "She never once said, 'She could be your mum'. She sees that I'm doing well, she sees that I'm happy, and that's all that matters to her."

Meanwhile Sundari said that whilst her sons were surprised at first that in the end, "they want to see me happy and support me in all my decisions".

She added: "When Maxi comes round at the weekends, my youngest son is at home, and it's all very harmonious, very lovely."

On how she feels about any potential backlash, Sundari pointed out how there have been age gap relationships for generations, she said: "This has always happened. There have always been relationships between older women and younger men.

"The thing is, in the past, it was so taboo that nobody made them public. I love the fact that today they can be brought into the open and that everyone can live the life they want to live."

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