Dear Auntie Kate:I have really valued your advice about the current situation I'm in and I would really appreciate your advice now with this new development. I recently told my family that I wanted to begin a serious relationship with the girl I met in Europe who now turns out to be my grandfather's cousin's daughter. My family responded by stating that cousins are not supposed to marry and have treated this like something is completely wrong here. My father had the biggest problem with it and my mother said that it was probably o.k. since we are such distant cousins, but then she treated the whole thing like it was some kind of joke and now they won't discuss it anymore. I have told them one of the most important decisions in my life and they have not treated it the same way and have basically shrugged it off and don't discuss it. Now I feel like something is wrong with me for wanting to pursue this relationship and I feel completely awkward about the whole thing. I know I shouldn't feel like this if I want to be in a relationship with someone I know that I truly love. Your insight into this would be so helpful to me. I look forward to hearing from you.
No dear, you still are very distant relatives. Remember that many of us here at cousincouples.com are first cousins. You just go right ahead and turn on the charm. You're doing a wonderfully romantic and exciting thing, and it's the right thing too. Your Aunt Kate Original grandfather's aunt's granddaughter Aunt Kate, Thanks for your help. I have sometimes been told that she is probably a second cousin once removed. Does that make any difference in terms of your remarks? Please let me know. Thanks. From: "Aunt Kate"
Oh my goodness... when age encroaches one does start to get befuddled by great-great-great relationships. I defer to KC, our technical man on the degree of your relationship, but if I draw the little picture of the tree and count the branches I get the impression that you are third cousins. That is a very distant relationship. Most of our cousin couples are much, much more closely related. How to proceed? Well dear, you sound like an articulate and well thought out young man. You just proceed like she was any other charming, attractive young woman that you met on vacation in Europe. I am sure that you will do just the right things to win her heart.
Your Aunt Kate
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