My family hates my boyfriend

The more they don't want the two of you to be together, the more you want to be together. You see things about him that they don't, and your family sees things about him that you don't.

But there are some questions that you need to ask yourself: do you love him enough to ignore your family's feelings toward him? Will he be the elephant in the room - the topic to be ignored, never to be discussed - during family get-togethers? Speaking of family get-togethers, will you attend them on your own? Or are you bringing him with you, even if you know all he'll get is the cold treatment?

Now, if your family hates your boyfriend and he knows it, it's safe to say that your family will definitely rank low in your boyfriend's mind. Can you blame him? So what are you supposed to do, short of banging your head against a brick wall?

Let them be. Don't force them upon each other. Not even for your sake. That might just backfire big-time. Maybe time will fix it, maybe not. Love eventually wins people over. Perhaps if your family sees how much he loves you, they'll change their minds. But don't bank on it.

Love all of them on your own terms. Don't let them feel like they have to compete with each other for your love. It will just create unnecessary drama and tension.

Of course, there really shouldn't be a choice between your family and your boyfriend. That's like comparing apples and oranges. Ideally. But if you are put in a spot where you have to choose, make sure that the person is worth it. Nothing would suck more than being forced to choose between two totally different things. If the person is worth it, at least it makes all the hassles and headaches worthwhile.