If you have a best friend, you know what it’s like to confide in someone. If you have a cousin, you know what it’s like to have someone to relate too, literally. But if you have a cousin that is your best friend, you have it all. Your cousin has been around since as long as you can remember, and at this point, you don’t know what life would be like without them. Your cousin is your first best friend and you can go to them for just about anything, including family problems and dilemmas. You can trust them to keep all of your secrets and only slightly judge you. Growing up together created so many memories for you to constantly talk about. There’s never a dull moment when someone you’re so comfortable around is your best friend.

Getting matching Christmas gifts growing up.

For some odd reason, your family believed that since you spent every second together, that you always needed to be wearing matching outfits. Although, the outfits weren’t always completely matching. Sometimes, the colors would be different and you’d secretly get upset that you didn’t get the other color. The gifts weren’t the greatest and pretending like you were so amazed that you got another matching outfit with your cousin wasn’t so fun either.

Being the closest relatives in your family.

No matter how big and held together your family is, you two are the closest. You speak every day and get together whenever you have the chance. You share the same friend group and are constantly having fun. No one in your family holds a bond like you two and you probably believe that they’re all secretly jealous.

Your friends all know that you’re a package deal.

You grew up together, so obviously you share the same friend group. Wherever your cousin goes, you go and vice versa. You go everywhere together and always have the best time. Most of the time, people just forget that you’re cousins because you just act like best friends who are a little way too much alike. You guys are always the life of the party when you go out and no one can kill the vibe when you two are together.

Family parties are just an excuse to have fun.

Holiday parties, birthday parties, or just celebrations in the family call for you and your cousin to let loose. You two pretty much go a little overboard at the family parties, but always have a good time. You take advantage of the fact that you’re surrounded by your family who you think isn’t judging you but probably really is. You’re usually the loudest and most obnoxious ones there, but as long as you’re having a good time, that’s all that matters, right?

You can complain about family together for hours on end.

Nobody has a perfect family so if you have someone to vent to about it, you’re set for life. You can tell your cousin anything about the family that is bothering you or just doesn’t seem right to you. Your family is their family so they always have some type of input. They understand the ins and outs of your dysfunctional family. Sometimes when you’re really agitated, you two could go on and on complaining about how annoying or weird your family is. Whether it’s your pestering younger cousins or elder relatives who always have “something” to say, you just need to talk it out to someone who understands. Family is forever, so they’ll forgive you.....you hope.

You can tell them anything.

Having a best friend means you can trust them with any secret, but having a cousin that is your best friend locks that secret in even more. They’re the person you could call after doing a horrible thing and still get convinced that you’re a great person. You can tell your cousin anything and trust them to take it with them to the grave. You never want someone to judge you, but sometimes it’s just what you need. You and your cousin are so close that they can tell you exactly what they think of whatever you tell them. Obviously, since it’s coming from them, you’ll take it into consideration.

Reminiscing ALL the time.

You two could be doing anything at any time of the day and you’ll remember a memory of when you were younger and instantly start hysterically laughing. You two share so many memories and there aren’t any that you can’t just have a good laugh about. Maybe it’s a memory of when you were really young and embarrassing, or maybe even a memory from a night out with friends. Either way, you two are always reminiscing and having a good laugh.

They’re your constant support system.

No matter who you lose in life, your cousin is always there. You can go to them for just about anything without even expecting advice back. Sometimes, you just need someone to talk to and there is never a time where your cousin wouldn’t be there to console you. Whether they’re holding your hair back in the club bathroom or giving you a hug when you need it, you can always rely on them to just be there for you.

You spent your childhood at their house, or vice versa.

You would always be at each other’s homes when you were younger, and that still hasn’t changed. You would never want to leave and sometimes even stay there for days because it’s your family, why wouldn’t you be allowed to do that? The sleepovers were always entertaining no matter what time your bedtime was. As soon as your mom or dad came to pick you up, you practically begged to stay just a “little” longer.

They can relate to you on so many things.

You two are so close and have been through so many things. Every breakup, makeup, and disaster, you were there by each other’s side. You pretty much share the same emotions by now. Every death in the family, you shared the grief and the loss. You are the ones there for each other celebrating every high and mourning every low. You experience so many of the same situations and feel the same emotions due to it. You have a companionship like no other friendship.

You two can write a novel filled with your inside jokes.

You two are hilarious together. There is never a dull moment when you two are in the same room. You’re always joking and most of the time, no one ever understands what you’re joking about. Everywhere you go, you give each other “that look.” You know exactly what it means when you look at each other. You have to keep your poker face on when this happens in public, but this just makes the time in public so much more entertaining.

Family drama is the best drama, only when you’re the ones laughing at it.

Your family argues a lot, but everyone’s does. You two sit back and watch it all unfold. You never get involved but talk to each other how absolutely insane the adults in your family are. You laugh at the ridiculousness knowing it will pass over in a few days. You update each other on every detail you find out about the feud every time you get the chance. Nothing is better than enjoying a show with your best friend.

No matter how many friends you get, they are still your #1.

You gain friends everywhere you go. You meet new people at work, school, and just in your day to day life. No matter how many new friends come in your life, your cousin is still the one you go to at the end of the day. They are your blood after all and blood is thicker than water. You put each other above all of your friends not just because you know each other inside out, but because you are family and will always be “stuck” with each other.

They love you for you.

We all know what it’s like to have fake friends that come into your life. They either use you, betray you, or don’t bother to get to know you. Your cousin loves you for exactly who you are. You two are open and raw with each other and don’t have to worry about any phoniness in your relationship. You know each other down to the core and love each other just as much.

Your family wouldn’t be the same without the two of you.

Your family knows your best friends and doesn’t ever question it. You’ve shown your family what it’s like to raise a pair of best friends. Without you two, your family wouldn’t be half as entertained as they’ve been over the years. You show them what it’s like to have fun everywhere you go. You also show them what it’s like to have an unbreakable bond in the family, and they are so pleased that you two turned out this way. You two make your family the way it is, even if it is a little crazy sometimes. But hey, so are the two of you.