Cousin's Marriage; My Shock

I am going to keep this as simple as possible.

Recently, my 17 year old cousin got married. To a 24 year old Army guy who has been in the Army for 6 years. That means he has been serving in the military for 1/3 of her life. How does a 23 year old in the military meet a 16 year old in high school? She didn't have a job, so not that way. And what does a 23 year old want with an underage girl anyways? It just seems a bit fishy to me if I think about it too much. My uncle was arrested 2 years ago on charges of trying to hook up with a 14 year old. With as much as my cousin loved her dad, it is almost expected that she have daddy issues, so yeah she was looking for someone older, and definitely older than 18 if not 21. And being underage herself just sort of finishes the little "playing out" of the situation. But that's how a shrink might look at it, I suppose. And I'm not a shrink.

My aunt, I'm surprised to say, seems to have been more than happy to get her underage daughter out of the house. If she had to marry her off to do it, so be it. And for what? To try to relive the high school life with her new 23 year old boy toy? Yes, that's right. My aunt is seeing someone younger than my 17 year old cousin's HUSBAND. How much more confusing can this get?

Well, I don't want to think about it any further. All I want to say is that I love my cousin. I am happy for her, and for whatever makes her happy. She is happy being married to Army guy. Which means I am happy for her. I have no place to tell her that she got married too soon, because I got married when I was 18 (although I was almost 19). I have no place to say that older guys must be pedophiles just because they are looking for someone younger, because my hubby is 4 years older than me (although I was over 18 when he met me, and he is only 4 years older, not 6). But like I said, I have no place to say anything. If she's reading this right now I hope she understands that these are my personal thoughts on the matter. I have never met Army guy, and I've been away from home for a very long time. But looking at it as an outsider, that is most likely what they see. I hope she doesnt care what anyone else thinks, if she loves Army guy and he loves her, than I hope they are married for many many years and have lots of kids and a happy life together, and after a few years people will stop commenting on how fast they got married and start commenting on how long they've lasted and how it looks like it was the right decision, after all.

I hope she can forgive me my doubts, and still accept that I wish her the best in her new, married life. Once the shock wears off, I too will be one of those "look how long you've been together, you must be made for each other" people.

But I tell ya what, it shocked the hell out of me to hear about it. I'm not gonna lie, I didnt think she was serious. Only time can heal such things. Heal my exploded mind, time.