I recently met someone I like a lot. Then I found out we're related. We may be sixth cousins by marriage. Should I keep pursuing the relationship?
— Katie, 14, Iowa
Since you're not first or second cousins, you have nothing to worry about. In fact, it's actually legal in 19 states to marry your first cousin. And get this: Albert Einstein got hitched to his cuz, and he was no idiot.
So by the time you get to the far reaches of sixth cousins, you're the gene-pool equivalent of the distance between Siberia and South America. If you like this guy, go for it. But keep your hands off each other at the next family reunion—there's no need to upset the elders.
— Melissa Glassman
Are your friends sick of your guy problems? We're not! Write to Heart to Heart via e-mail. Please include your first name, age, birthday, city, and
state. YM.com cannot reply individually to questions.
All Letters become the property of ym.com and may be reused in any other media.
