I am 18 years old and my boyfriend is 22. The problem in our relationship is related to our age, but it is not our age difference but the faith we put into it.

Meaning, we firmly believe we will be together for a long time, hopefully for life. We plan our future together.

We have been dating over a year now and we are almost completely certain that we are right for one another.

We could be wrong, yes, but why am I shamed for believing our relationship? I cannot express the number of times that my exclamation that our love will prevail is met with skepticism because I am young. I know that I am young but does that truly mean I cannot understand the idea of being with one person? Must I date around in college?

I don't believe that my boyfriend and I should have to prove our relationship. I don't think people need to encourage seeing other people before making the choice. I don't think that people should make it obvious that they are waiting for our relationship to end. I especially don't believe that we have to be married for our relationship to be valid.

It irks me that I am forced to explain our relationship and our certainty that we will be together a significant amount of time. I am allowed to make any of other choice and it was almost never questioned.

I can choose who to be friends with.

I can choose where I want to take a job.

I can choose a college and a major.

I can choose where I want to live and the route my life will take.

God forbid I choose my partner. It is time to stop this idea that youth equals utter immaturity, especially when we are thought to make choices that will affect our lives forever in other areas.

Why can't I be sure of who I want to spend my life with?

The part that is the most infuriating is that if we were to break up, I would not get sympathy, I would get many "I told you so".

Please stop this rhetoric. All the choices we make now are valid and should be taken seriously.