I grew up the oldest of three children, so I never had an older sibling to look up to. This is where my older cousins stepped in to play. I have a total of 13 cousins on each side of my family, 10 of which are older than me.
They are the people I go to for advice about relationships, school, and future endeavors. Also, I know I can always call them up if I need to vent about life in general. They were my first friends and I know they will always love me and be there for me.
My older cousins have taught me how to pick the right guy. Many of my older cousins are either married or are in long-term relationships. They have introduced their significant others to the family and we have welcomed them with open arms. Each of their significant other are warm, selfless, kind-hearted individuals and I thank each and every one of them for making my older cousins happy and for also giving me a picture of what a healthy and strong relationship looks like.
I also want to thank my older cousins for staying in touch. I know you are all out of college, have amazing careers, and are starting to build a family of your own. But I greatly appreciate how you still make an effort to come to Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings, even if it's only once every few years. I love catching up with each of you, seeing where life has taken you, getting more life advice from you (I can never get enough advice), and having you tell me much I’ve grown up and how you are proud of me *happy-face emoji* because when we do get together, it’s magical.
Thank you for teaching me little life lessons that helped me get through these past six years of high school and college. For example, how not to get caught doing something I'm probably not suppose to be doing (sorry mom & dad), how to always agree with my parents (because they're always right), how to sneak a sip of their wine at family gatherings when no one is looking (sorry mom & dad part 2/ I’ll be 21 at Thanksgiving!!!!), and so much more.
Overall, I spent my childhood with you guys. You got to boss me around when we would make up skits to perform in front of the family, we fought over who got to play with what but you would usually win but that’s okay since I didn’t have to live with you. But we are more than just friends, we are blood.The ties that bind us are deep and the loyalty we have to our family is powerful. An older cousin is someone who will drop anything and everything if you call. I have always counted on you since my childhood and I know this bond will never end.
I love you guys and I thank you, once again, for being my role models.
