UJil 9 years is a big gap and this also depends on your current age and hers and your current financial status.

If you are still in your early 20s, its still possible to to start a relationship but still very challenging cos you stil need time to build your career and money, etc.

By the time you are stable, she will be close to 40 and you may not feel the same way anymore.

If you are in your mid to late 20s are you ready to settle down now and immediately start a family. Do you want your own biological children as a 9 year age gap means she is almost 40 and breaching the age of conventional wisdom to have the first child.

As someone in his 40s, my sincere advice is for you to expand your social circle and meet more women.

Make sure you feeling for this woman is not out of feeling lonely.

You will certainly face huge family resistance for this relationship.

Cool things for a while and if you still feel the same way after couple of months then go and pursue this woman.

I would say Diane, we have known each other for about say 1-years and during this time, I really enjoyed my time with you.

I have come to know you as an intelligent, kind and funny person and I really like you and would like to be more than what we currently are and would like to know if you also feel the same way that I do.

This way gives you more room to safe face if Diane does not feel the same way.

But that's just my opinion

PS - you can add beautiful to intelligent, kind or funny but some women want to be appreciated for their inner qualities and some outside.

This post has been edited by cfa28: Jul 20 2018, 04:16 PM