When my favorite girl cousin and I were younger, we used to email each other before the days when we were allowed to have phones and social media and such. We wanted to call each other BFFs, but it was kinda funny because technically we're related, so our bond was deeper than that. We called each other BCF's: "Best Cousins Forever".

Why is having a best girl cousin so great? Honestly, she's been like another sister to me over the years. And, just like sisters, we haven't always gotten along perfectly. We've had our ups and downs. To be perfectly honest, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to stand her if we actually had to live in the same house growing up. We have a lot of personality differences. But, even so, I still love her guts for a lot of reasons.

Growing up, my BCF never had a cousin who was exactly her age, so me being the next oldest, she naturally looked up to me and wanted to be close to me. As I grew older I kinda showed her the ropes or at least talked to her about different stages of life she was about to encounter, especially in those teenage years when a lot of changes take place. We have fond memories of spending lots of time together during family reunions or when our immediate families would visit each other. We honestly did some weird stuff as kids, but now it's just hilarious to talk about. We've had sleepovers together since we were little. As we got older, sleepovers went from talking about our favorite toys to talking about our favorite boys and updating each other on the latest friend drama. Even if we live in completely different cities and states, I always tried to give her advice or answer her questions about anything from periods to school to dating.

It was funny how we came to know a few of each other's friends because we'd visit each other so regularly throughout the year. My friends got used to seeing her come to church with me every once in a while and her friends got used to me hanging out with them at the local straw maze when we'd visit in the fall. She's shared her passion for Marvel with me as we've had movie marathons in her basement when I'd visit. We tolerate each other's fangirling over certain T.V. shows and celebrities even if we don't relate to each other all the time.

My girl cousin is probably my only true best friend, because she's always been there. She's known me her whole life. Friend groups change frequently for me, but every time I see my cousin, our bond is the same. Our memories are encapsulated in email chains when we were 10, fanfiction we used to co-author on Google docs, all the Instagram posts we've tagged each other in, and precious photos and videos from family reunions throughout the years. The things we've shared together are irreplaceable, and I wouldn't trade the best-cousinship we have for the world. <3