I'm In Love With My Cousin

Dear Lisa Love,

I've had a crush on a guy named Greg for the past few years and I think he might be attracted to me too. But there's one big problem – he's my cousin. We're not closely related though; his mom isn't my aunt. We're probably third or fourth cousins. I just wanted to know if it would be weird for us to date; it doesn't help that we have the same last name.

I really like Greg and I keep having dreams where we're happy together as a couple. Would it be so wrong if he was my boyfriend?

- Rosalie

Dear Rosalie,

You're certainly in a bind. This situation is very ticklish. There's a lot of confusion about the boundaries as far cousins dating go.

While it's certainly difficult to ignore one's feelings, I would tread carefully and find out what's acceptable. It would definitely be beneficial for both of you if you could be certain of what relatives on both sides of the family think about this.

On the other hand, you could go ahead with your feelings and ignore what everybody thinks.

In the end, you have to look at the possible consequences and make the decision for yourself.

- Lisa Love