Deciding who to marry is the most important decision you will make in life, and it will affect the rest of your life. This is not something that should be entered into lightly with a "we'll see what happens" attitude. Do not even consider getting married unless you are willing to make the sacrifices that are necessary to make this marriage work for a lifetime.

Having said that, I think you are too young and not ready to make this decision.

See my answer to Clare to see what I think of the commitment of marriage.

The fact that you are "really confused and lost" is proof. Even if you think that you want to be with him "forever," a young woman at 16 (and especially a boy at 18) rarely grasp the full significance of what that means. You will see over the next few years of your life that you will change significantly through your teen years and especially through your mid-twenties. You attitudes toward things and interests will change, your career paths will begin to form, etc. With experience, you will also begin to really understand what you are looking for in a husband and what it means to have a marriage commitment.

I know many couples that have married at a very young age, and they regret having missed out on experiencing the

I agree - most of my friends who married before 25 regret it.

freedom and independence of their single years as they were growing up and maturing. They never had a chance to mature on their own and experience life as an individual. When you marry, you become one with your husband, and you will lose much of that independence.

So, if you want to be with him forever and you really do have a deep and lasting commitment to each other, waiting for a few years will not harm the relationship, but only strengthen it as you grow and mature together. Waiting will test the relationship to see what's really there. If you wait and the relationship falls apart, then you, and the relationship, are not ready for marriage. (Your marriage wouldn't have lasted!) If, on the other hand, this waiting period strengthens your commitment to love each other, then you are building a great foundation for your marriage anyway. The time is not wasted!

P.S. It seems odd that you are thinking of making him part of your family when your parents don't even know you're dating! Don't you think you ought to introduce them? Your parents might have some valuable insights into the situation.