By meltingturtle - 02/08/2016 03:25

Today, I was talking with my girlfriend. We both have family issues, so we'd agreed to open up to each other today. Turns out I'm dating my cousin. FML
I agree, your life sucks 19 186
You deserved it 1 878

meltingturtle tells us more.

meltingturtle 24

OP here. Here's your follow up. My mom and her brother had a rocky relationship. She moved to the west coast some twenty years ago, and never talks about my uncle. I know of him, but never met him due to problems between them. I moved out of state for college, and met my girlfriend there. I'd only been told I had a cousin once, pretty much in passing. My gf and I were both talking, and she mentioned how her dad, named David, was bipolar and had several issues. I asked if she had any aunts or anything cause that sounded a hell of a lot like my estranged uncle my mom hardly talks about. She was all, 'yeah, but my dad never talks about her. Her name is Emily or something I think?' And I was like 'o shit that's my mom'. It was super awkward. I'd known my uncle had a daughter, and she knew her aunt had two. Thing is, I'm a trans boy who goes by a completely name, so we never really figured it out until now. Hope it makes more sense to y'all now.

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Top comments

kusje 30

Hey, at least you have a lot in common with each other!

272 6

Comments

kusje 30

Hey, at least you have a lot in common with each other!

272 6
Adyingpine 10

So, I realize this clearly wasn't on purpose but why did your parents not tell you? or hers? if she knew why didn't someone else?

7 50
crudeandrudeguy 29

"Family issues" may mean they aren't in contact with their parents, possibly the parents were neglectful or abusive.

70 1
Talis99 26

They could have not met the family yet. New relationships, live far away...

42 0
tessas 7

She likely didn't know, my guess is that one of them described crazy uncle Charlie, then the other described Grandma Maureen, and the realization started dawning on both of them...

49 1
sparkledoge 29

Well at least now you know. Imagine if you guys had gotten married and found out only after. F both of your lives though.

55 3
alex_gen 38

Seeing as how you didn't know you were cousins beforehand, I would assume you're distant cousins, or at least have a bit of generational gap in the family tree. Depending on how distant your familial association is, it's not all bad. Even the most famous of people have dated/married their cousins. If your cousin is in fact, your aunt/uncle's child, I hope you didn't **** your cousin.

24 12
meltingturtle 24

First cousins... And no, I haven't, thank God.

27 0
Joel17 12

So wait what happened after you guys found that out?

9 0
meltingturtle 24

There was a really long, awkward pause and we both kinda stared at each other. After forever we kinda discussed our plan for the future

7 0
zultr 6

As noted elsewhere, it's legal to marry your 1st cousin in almost 40% of states in the US. It wouldn't be that uncommon for them to be together, especially if they didn't know each other growing up. Studies have shown than most children who grow up together (even if they're unrelated) aren't as likely to be attracted to one another in adulthood (the theory is that we evolved in that manner to avoid a limited gene pool). If the OP is trans and children aren't going to be an issue and they didn't know each other growing up, then there really isn't anything to be concerned with.

7 5
RafDev 5

Just because your family is like that, doesn't mean everyone's is. Maybe OP's parents and his girlfriend's parents had some drama and they'd never introduced their kids

70 1
crudeandrudeguy 29

I honestly wouldn't let it make a difference in my relationship at this point, if you love each other and you've been together a while then just carry on as you were... Edit- Perhaps adopt if it comes to that

32 9
mathdu73 8

actually I've researched a bit and having a kid with your cousins doesn't really add much risk at all, you can go from like 10% to 11% of birth defect or something like that, it's really accepted in our society but, according to genetics, it's not really important, it doesn't really matter much.

14 3
Calingaladha 21

On a one time basis, it doesn't make a difference really. It's continual inbreeding that is really problematic.

16 2
sylvienoir 18

Yeah, I think it's also a way bigger deal if you have a relationship between a parent and child or brother and sister. Since cousins only have half your genetic make up, it's not such a big deal. Also, is your uncle a half brother perhaps? If that's the case you're even more distantly related.

6 1
Shade1982 20

Genetically speaking, 10% is actually a really big number...

6 2
Dale_shackleford 13

That was the standard amount, going from 10 to 11 isn't a huge deal.

1 0
fariss 14

Is your name a play on turtleREDneck?

8 4
crudeandrudeguy 29

Yet again-"Family issues" may mean they aren't in contact with their parents, possibly the parents were neglectful or abusive

45 1