Dear Cousins,

Ever since we were all born, 900 miles have separated us. For some reason though, that distance has never stopped us all from being as close as we are. We’ve been there for some of each other’s biggest days and we have watched each other grow up through the use of our phones and computers. Regardless of the distance, you’re still some of my favorite people and I really cherish the times I have with you when I get to see you.

Thankfully, our family has always been really tight knit. I think we definitely have our grandmother to thank for that. Without her, our family wouldn’t have been remotely as close as we all are now. She made sure we were all fed to the point of almost throwing up, played with us out in the yard (even if it was just rolling the ball for kickball) and gave us all a place to stay for our summer sleepovers when you came up. It’s still so hard to believe that it will be two years since she passed in October.

Although each of our families and the way we were raised were completely different, we cousins tend to all be pretty similar. We like some of the same music, have some of the same hobbies, play some of the same sports, and do some of the same things. Whenever we’re together, we still find something extremely fun to do. I still find a best friend in you when I need someone to talk to and even though we don’t talk everyday, you still know me like the back of your hand. We can go months without sharing what’s going on in our lives and then we get together and it’s like nothing’s changed.

I look forward to summer because it means I get a week with you. We get to go boating or swimming, go out to dinners, go shopping, and just catch up on everything we’ve missed the past year. We get to look back at old pictures of all of us in the bathtub with bubbles everywhere or with rosy red cheeks holding our hot chocolates when we went sledding. We laugh about all the stupid things we used to do together like crushing on our older cousin’s best friend. The memories are endless because we’re family.

No matter what the distance is between us, you still mean so much to me and I still look at you as two of my best friends. Thank you for loving me and listening to my stupid problems and mainly just accepting me as who I am (even if you may not have a choice). I love you.

Love,

Me