DEAR ABBY: I recently found out my 32-year-old distant cousin (male) on my dad’s side has been flirting with my mom on Facebook Messenger. (For the record, my parents have been divorced for 18 years.) I saw this when I was helping Mom set up her new phone and she received one of the messages. She has asked him to stop, but he keeps sending messages that start with “Hey, beautiful,” “Hey, most beautiful lady in the world” and “Hey, hot stuff.” He says he wants to take her on a date and kiss her, even if it’s just once.
I know I was wrong for doing this, but I decided to review the whole conversation and other conversations from previous FB accounts my cousin has had. These messages go back two years, including when he was in another relationship. Neither my mom nor my cousin knows that I know about these messages.
I am reluctant to confront my cousin because of how I found out, and I want to avoid causing embarrassment for my mom from that side of the family. But I feel he needs to be held accountable and to know that this is not OK. What should I do? — KNOWS TOO MUCH IN WISCONSIN
DEAR KNOWS: Your mother is an adult, and presumably in her right mind. If she didn’t enjoy the attention, she could block the messages. My advice is to stop snooping and stay out of it.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, California 90069. Copyright 2024, Andrews, McMeel Syndication.
