DR. WALLACE: I'm a second-year college student who lives on campus and has a part-time job. My family and I have had the tradition of having a family dinner every Sunday evening, and I regularly drive the 30 minutes there to attend with my parents and all of my siblings.

The last four or five times I've come over, my mother has either called or texted me requesting me to pick up some items from the grocery store on the way. It seems she is always forgetting something or needs something for dessert or a side dish of some sort.

I've always honored her request, even though sometimes I end up spending 20 minutes in a grocery store trying to find exactly what she needs. She reimburses me promptly in cash, often giving me more money than I actually spent, and she never wants any change. Once she gave me a $50 bill, even though I spent just under $20.

I do appreciate the cooked meals, but between my work schedule, my social life and my studies, I don't always have an extra half-hour to run around grocery stores! I've discussed this with a couple of friends of mine, and two of them have mentioned I should say something to my mother about this, but my closest friend is adamant that I should help my mom out whenever she needs anything and just go about my business without ever mentioning it. What do you think? — Mom Makes These Weekly Requests, via email

MOM MAKES THESE WEEKLY REQUESTS: I side with your closest friend on this issue. First of all, you're getting a nice home-cooked meal and enjoying the camaraderie of your family for what amounts to hopefully a few hours anyway.

It could also be that your mother wants to give you a little extra money here and there in an inconspicuous kind of way. We all have very busy lives these days, so just do your best to budget your time to have that extra 20 minutes or so to visit the grocery store on your way to your family home and write it off as part of your routine.

IS IT APPROPRIATE TO DATE THIS NICE GUY?

DR. WALLACE: I often visit my favorite cousins who live about 20 miles away from our town. I'm a junior in high school and a girl who is outgoing and has a lot of friends and fortunately, a lot of opportunities to date.

The last time I was over there, one of my cousins, who has a cousin on his father's side, introduced me to this guy, and he and I had a great conversation. His father married into our family, and so my aunt is actually his stepmother.

But since he's a cousin of my cousin, I think this makes him my second cousin. He asked me out on a date! I told him I might be interested, but that I needed to check my schedule, and I'd contact him later.

Do you think it would be OK for me to date him even though he's technically my second cousin, but there is no bloodline between our families because his mother was my uncle's first wife? If this sounds confusing, I apologize because I was confused trying to figure it all out by myself the first time! — I'll Admit I Like My Second Cousin, via email

I'LL ADMIT I LIKE MY SECOND COUSIN: It certainly sounds like you've done your due diligence regarding how this young man is connected to you and your family.

I see no reason at all that the two of you couldn't enjoy dating each other and spending social time together. You're technically not directly related at all, other than his father buried your aunt after he was born.

Perhaps the two of you can enjoy a good laugh together, and either become long-term friends, or perhaps something more someday.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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