Dear cousin/best friend,
When we were little, I thought every kid was fortunate enough to have a best friend who was always there to have sleepovers and talk on the phone about “High School Musical” with for hours. I thought every girl had someone guaranteed to play “fashion show” and go to Build-A-Bear Workshop with her. I thought begging your aunt and uncle to stay at the family party for “just one more hour” was a normal part of everyone’s childhood. I thought everyone was lucky enough to have a cousin so close in age with them.
As I got older, I began to realize not everyone has this convenience. Having a partner in crime from birth doesn’t happen to everybody — never having to worry about whether or not you have a friend is not a blessing we all share.
As years go by, I become more and more grateful that there is always someone by my side that I can confide in. You are there unconditionally to give me unbiased advice and listen to the secrets I wasn’t supposed to tell anybody. Even though you live farther away than I wish you did, you’re always a FaceTime away.
Whether we're FaceTiming or hanging out in person, you make me laugh the hardest, even if our jokes make no sense to anyone else. It doesn’t matter if we are doing each others’ nails or are on vacation together, you somehow always find a way to make the experience even more enjoyable. Some of our inside jokes are from years ago and we still manage to die when we talk about them. It never gets old when I am smiling at my phone and someone asks which boy I am talking to, "What? Oh no, it's just my cousin."
You have been there with me through all stages of life — from being flower girls at weddings, to soon being bridesmaids, and eventually maids of honor at our own weddings. From playing with Barbies in elementary school, to living at the mall in middle school, to going to football games in high school, and now going out on Friday nights in college. Thank you for being there with me every step of the way.
Now when we go out, it doesn’t take very long for us to proudly tell everyone we meet that we are related. "We're cousins and best friends!" is a sentence that never fails to be said. I am so lucky to have someone I trust so much to share these times with and I wouldn’t want to have to sprint to Penn Station to catch a late-night train with anyone else.
We already have so many memories together (too many to list) and I can’t wait to make more in the future. I look forward to being able to cross everything off of our bucket list which mostly involves traveling the world…once we aren’t poor AF.
Even though we never go a day without saying “ILY” or “Miss u,” I still don’t think I can say it enough. Gawking over boys together, tagging each other on posts online and reminiscing about our pre-pubescent days are just little things we do that make my day; even if I am having a horrible one.
Even though we have our arguments, I love you to the moon and back and you will always be my best friend. Oh, and we’re blood so you’re stuck with me. Cheers to many more years of being psychopaths together.
xoxo,
Your BFF since the womb
