A woman who got engaged to her former school teacher has revealed their 25-year age difference and finds them often mistaken for grandmother and granddaughter.
Monica Ketchum31, of Big Rapids, Michigan, was a teacher’s sweetheart for science teacher Michelle Foster, 56, in 2004.
Sixteen years after Monica left school, she decided to message her seventh grade teacher on Facebook.
The two formed a close friendship that eventually blossomed into a romantic bond, and while they don’t see their large age difference as a problem in their relationship, the two lovebirds have noted that others often mistake Michelle for Monica’s mother or grandmother.
Monica Ketchum, 31, from Michigan, got engaged to her former school teacher, Michelle Foster, 56 (pictured right)
Monica was a teacher’s sweetheart for science teacher Michelle Foster in 2004
Sixteen years after Monica left school, she decided to message her seventh grade teacher on Facebook
The pair say they are mistaken for mother and daughter “several times a day” and a stranger even mistook Michelle for Monica’s grandmother, but they shrug – saying they “don’t even notice” the age difference.
Monica said that despite the age difference, they have a lot in common as they bond over music, camping, outdoor activities and hunting for locally brewed beer.
Monica said, “In the beginning, the age difference was the biggest problem for Michelle – I wasn’t really worried.
“I’ve always been attracted to older people — I’m attracted to an old soul, so age has never been a thing for me.
“Michelle and I were always close, and we found commonality, so I didn’t even see an age difference.”
However, Monica revealed that it “hurts” when people ask if Michelle is her “mom.”
“People always ask if she’s my mom – I even recently designed a T-shirt that says ‘no, she’s not my mom.’
“I try to let it go, but it hurts – age doesn’t matter to us, so why should it matter to other people?”
She even wondered why people would ask such questions, especially when kissing in public.
And while they’re both happy, the ride isn’t always smooth – and because of their large age difference, Monica explains, they’re often mistaken for mother and daughter.
The two formed a close friendship that eventually blossomed into a romantic bond
They noted that they do not see their large age difference as a problem in their relationship, but said that others often mistake Michelle for Monica’s mother or grandmother
The pair say they are mistaken for mother and daughter “several times a day” and a stranger even mistook Michelle for Monica’s grandmother, but they shrug
She said, “People ask all the time ‘is that your mom’ or even ‘is that your grandma’.
“We’ve learned to laugh or wave it off, but when you see me kissing her, why ask if she’s my mother?”
She added: “Another question I get is if I loved her when I was 13 – obviously not!
“At the time we didn’t have a relationship except that she was a good teacher.”
The 31-year-old added that the 25-year age difference was never a problem for her, but her 56-year-old partner did struggle with it at first.
Michelle was “really happy” to reconnect, but she was concerned about what others thought about how their relationship started and their large age difference.
The 56-year-old said: ‘I was worried about the age difference and I was worried about how we first met, but I had to let it all go. ‘
Michelle knew she had to stop caring about what everyone thought, she said that once she did, she was finally happy.
“It became clear that I had to make a choice for myself, and when I did it was like the weight of the world was lifted.
“Once I let go, it didn’t matter what anyone thought. Since I let go of that, we just blossomed.
Monica said that despite the age difference, they have a lot in common as they bond over music, camping, outdoor activities and hunting for locally brewed beer
Michelle was ‘really happy’ to reconnect but was concerned about what others thought about how their relationship started and their large age gap
“I realized that other people can think what they think and that I just have to do what I have to do to be happy.
“Now I think how lucky I am to have such a wonderfully beautiful soul to spend the rest of my days with.”
She explained that she knew Monica was the one when the 31-year-old offered to “look after” her.
“I’ve always been a huge caregiver and one day she said, ‘Let me take care of you’ — I can’t tell you how good that felt,” said Michelle.
Monica decided to contact Michelle after experiencing a difficult situation with her family.
The 31-year-old was raised strongly Christian and had become estranged from her family when she came out as gay.
As a 13-year-old, Michelle’s classroom was a “safe place” for Monica, so she decided to contact her favorite teacher, as she had also been in a relationship with a woman in the past.
Although their relationship then remained professional, Michelle left such an impression that almost ten years later, in April 2020, Monica decided to find her on Facebook.
Michelle knew she had to stop caring about what everyone thought, she said once she did she was finally happy
Monica decided to contact Michelle after experiencing a difficult situation with her family
Michelle also had a hard time when Monica reached out and they supported each other by talking online.
Their supportive friendship intensified until it became clear that there was a romantic connection – despite their unusual connection and 25-year age difference.
In August 2021, they finally met for the first time.
Monica said, “We sat and had lunch for five hours — it was great catching up.
“We bonded and became good friends — we could talk about anything.
“We were both in very dark places and finding someone you can relate to and be vulnerable with felt safe.”
They ended their previous relationships to be together in May 2022 with Michelle and her wife filing for divorce.
Monica proposed in September 2022 and Michelle returned the favor by popping the question back the following month.
The couple – who both have children from previous marriages – have been living together ever since.
The couple got engaged at the end of last year, after organizing separate proposals for each other.
Their supportive friendship intensified until it became clear that there was a romantic connection – despite their unusual connection and 25-year age difference
Monica proposed in September 2022 and Michelle returned the favor by popping the question back the following month
They are now planning their wedding, which will take place in June 2023.
And while they’ve been targeted by trolls, who claim that Michelle “groomed” Monica, they say it couldn’t be further from the truth.
Despite people misunderstanding their relationship, the couple posted themselves on social media.
They explained that they want to be “open in the community that needs a voice” – both because they are LGBT and because of their age difference.
Monica said, “We want to be where others find hope, light and safety or need a friend.
‘We want to surround everyone in a loving way and spread the message that love is love.’
Monica added: “We get harassed a lot because of our age difference and we don’t understand it.”
The 31-year-old commented that since their age difference doesn’t matter to them, it doesn’t matter to others either.
“Age doesn’t matter to us, so why does it matter to other people?
“If I allow myself to sit there and think about it, I go crazy — I try to let it go, but it hurts.
“Love is love and we can love whoever we want.”