You're in college. You have a typical routine of class, athletics, gym, friends, parties, etc., and life is moving faster than you think with people coming in and out of your life quicker than a snap of your fingers. The friends or relationships that you thought would stick around are gone in a blink of an eye. Suddenly, there are the friendships you had no idea would turn out for the better. So that's great. It's easy to get caught up in the college b.s. but one thing that is always consistent is family.
I'm usually not the type of girl to boast, but I come from an amazing family. Seriously. When I was little, I believed everyone had the same type of family as mine. However, I realize I am truly blessed with the people in my family and life. I am who I am today because of my family and how I was raised. When my cousins get together for the holidays, especially Christmas, the only way I can explain our family gatherings is comparing it to a marathon. It's a non-stop eating, loving, laughing and money-spending fest. Spending time with my cousins is something I always look forward to because we are always on the go, visiting other cousins, frosting my Aunt Nancy's famous Sullivan cookies, going to The Lights Before Christmas, shopping, eating out at restaurants, ordering too much Vito's Pizza and Tony Packo's hotdogs, and playing Lord of the Rings Risk. While spending all this time together, we still manage to have everyone sleep under one roof for Christmas.
People say you can't pick your family and they are right. They may annoy us at times, but family is the one group of people that never leaves us when others do. Family is there to be the first one to defend or listen to you. With this being said, I would pick my family a million times over any other family.
Growing up, I never made the realization that my cousins were truly my best friends. If anyone asked who my best friends were, a couple of my cousins were at the top of the list along with some friends. With all the fun family outings and transitions we went through together, my cousins were my rock through all stages of life. I'm so thankful for them. I depend on them for everything. (Thanks guys, love you -- you know who you are).
A couple reasons why my cousins make the best of friends are:
1. We are born BFFs
From birth, we were raised to be close to each other as our parents and relatives are. We had the same grandparents which made us already totally awesome cousins bound to make some great memories. Also, cousins are the people who know everything about you, including how to tell when you're stressed, what happened in puberty, braces, awful haircuts, poor life decisions and how to tell when you are lying. In addition, they are the only ones who truly understand how crazy our family members can be and can sympathize and understand the craziness. Cousins are our go-to people and always will be.
2. Role models
Being the youngest of the cousins, I had no choice but to look up to people literally and figuratively speaking. I always wanted to be a part of whatever my cousins were doing and was attached to the hip to a few of them all the time. They taught me things such as social norms and how to wear makeup; introduced me to side hobbies, things I'm currently passionate about; gave me a variety of opportunities to succeed; helped me figure out a career path; and were also my personal stylists. With everything my cousins have accomplished, they have raised the bar high for me to prove how successful I can be.
3. You can tell each other anything
Yeah, that's what your siblings and close friends are for, too, but confiding in cousins is better because they cannot and will not break your trust or rat you out to your parents. It's like an unspoken rule between cousins.
4. Meticulously planning the next time we see each other
As a family, family vacations were spent at each other's houses. In my case, it was winters in Ohio and summers in Rhode Island. I have a few family members known for making itineraries every time there is a vacation or family outing. Planning is important to us as a family because spending time together is precious and we want to get the most out of our time together.
5. Cousins are the select few who know how crazy you are
Even though you tell people how crazy you can be and you have friends who know you well, cousins are the select few people who have the pleasure to see every side of your personality and still love you regardless. So don't try and pretend to be cool because cousins already know how weird you really are.
6. Memories
Cedar Point trips. Penguin Palace visits for Smurf ice cream. Christmas. Spending the summers in Rhode Island at the beach. Memories are different for everyone but there will always be new stories to tell, new memories to be made and endless laughter.
7. Honesty
Cousins aren't afraid to tell you the truth. No matter the case, my cousins have always had my back on everything and wanted me to know their opinion on every issue. They are the friends who encourage me to do and be the best at everything. My cousins are friends I am able to confide in and vice versa. Being honest with each other is a reason for how we have developed true friendships.
Even though it becomes more difficult to see each other as we get older, we find time for each other and our love for each other never goes away. We always pick up the pieces right where we left off as if we were never apart. Obviously by now, people should know how important my family is to me. Family -- I love you all so much. No list could explain how amazing you all are.
XOXO -- Emmy
