To My Dearest Cousins,

I am so blessed to have all nine of you in my life. We have grown up together, laughed together, cried together, and faced all of life’s challenges together. From the youngest 7-year-old to the oldest 28-year-old, you are all one of a kind.

As a token of appreciation, this letter is for you guys.

Thank you for being my support system.

Whenever I have breakdowns, you have always been a shoulder for me to cry on. Comforting me with your hugs and telling me that ever-so-solacing phrase, “everything will be okay.” Because of your patience and kindness, I have been able to get back on my feet. I hope to provide the same safety net for you to fall on if you ever face any sort of trouble. We will be there for each other until the very end.

Thank you for traveling the world with me.

I love exploring New York City, Dhaka, Singapore, Malaysia, Italy, Japan and Atlanta with you all. Since we are an international family spread out across the globe, I have had the privilege of discovering new and exciting places with you. Learning new languages, trying different cuisine, cafe-hopping, climbing mountains, going canoeing—we have done it all. Going to a different country is fun on its own, but having you all as personal tour guides makes it a thousand times better.

Thank you for putting up with my rants.

You all must be so tired of me complaining about school. Even if I get a 95 on a test, I’ll complain why I didn’t get a 100, but I guess you’re all used to my perfectionist tendencies. I cannot thank you enough for hearing me vent about angry customers at work or nag about random family drama. Knowing me, I’ll continue with my whining, so I apologize in advance.

Thank you for giving me invaluable advice.

This shout out goes to my older cousins who have given me words of wisdom. Whether it be about high school, college, relationships, or fashion, you have never failed to give me a few important pointers so that I can improve myself. Sometimes, your advice may be a little harsh, but thank you for being frank and honest. The brutal truth is all I need to save me from an EPIC FAIL. Being my older cousins, you have more experience than me and have been through the phase I’m currently going through, so thank you for all your tips and tricks. I am a better person because of you.

Thank you for making it through family events with me.

During all those long and boring family gatherings, we are suffering together as we listen to the repetitively mundane chit-chat of the adults. As we get lectured by our parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, you have stood by my side nodding your head gently and sighing as we listen to them say, “you should get married soon,” “you should be more like_______,” “you should be a doctor,” etc. Without you by my side, I would have to suffer alone.

Thank you for making unforgettable memories.

We have so many stories about each other to tell our kids when we’re older. I will never forget the time when little Neilah went through her “mean phase,” or when Ayon Bhaiya pushed Zeeyad into the pool, or when Farheen Apu took me shopping at Harajuku in Japan. These fond memories will stick with us forever and I hope we can make many more to come.

Thank you for being my role models.

Lastly, I would like to thank all of you for just being amazing human beings.

Neilah, I will always cherish your ability to enjoy the little things in life and have so much fun.

Leanna, I love how you are so calm and quiet.

Zeeyad, I am so proud of your decision to pursue public health and wish you the best of luck.

Nafisah, I can’t believe you’re going to London for your Master’s; I hope to visit you sometime!

Amina, it’s so cool how you’re all the way in Bali improving the world with permaculture.

Daiyan Bhaiya, everyone compares us to you because of your genius brains; hope you complete your Ph.D. in Australia soon!

Ayman, I have heard so much about your good grades and car addiction.

Abir Bhaiya, you are killing it as an environmental engineer!

Farheen Apu, I can’t wait until you’re a certified public accountant working for a big firm!

Overall, I am so honored to have such outstanding individuals like you as my cousins! I hope I can be like all of you someday.

Sending you lots of love,

Fariha (AKA Gunjon)