From the moment I entered this world, I became the little sister your parents never gave you and the big sister my parents never gave me. I was your real life doll. Now, obviously I don't remember anything before I turned four, but past that point, some of my greatest memories have been with you. Like every time you played "teacher" and I played "student." You would print me out of writing worksheets and make me do them. And even though I was tender-headed, you'd pull my hair tighter and tighter to make sure my french braids were perfect. And my most favorite, when you hit me in the face with a softball bat. You were so upset because it was an accident and it hurt for a second but ultimately it led me to love softball as you loved it.
Those were the best days. It was just you, me and Erin, and we were so spoiled and loved by all of our family members. As the years went by, I loved each and every holiday because it meant I got to make more memories with you. I would always look forward to going to Gammies' house just to play teacher or house or softball or whatever we wanted to play. We would stay up late and talk about what we wanted to name our future kids and what our dream husbands would look like. You would drag me around to see all your friends but I didn't really mind because they all had pools and that meant I got to swim. And as we gained more and more cousins our bond always stayed the strongest.
I can't wait for the day that you stand beside me on my wedding day because trust me you'll be up there. I can't wait for the day that you have kids and I have kids and they make memories like we did. I can see us now at a family Christmas years down the line, talking crap about the people we don't like. Our bond will only get stronger from here. As we grow older, and we start to see each other less often, I trust that God will never let our memories and our bond fade. I know that you are only a phone call away and that I can come to you with anything.
I can't say you are my favorite cousin because I love all of my cousins the same, but you and I have more memories than we do with any other cousin on this side of the family. Thank you for teaching me how to french braid, keeping me updated on all the drama within our family, introducing me to my favorite sport, paying for my Sonic as a kid, and saving me from boredom at every family gathering. You're a pretty dang good person and I can't wait to see you succeed as a nurse. Thank you for being the older sister I never had and the built in best friend I never asked for. I love you, Rikki Joe.
