I'm an only child, and I complained to my parents about it relentlessly from the time I learned to speak. I wanted a brother to wrestle with and a sister to fight with over the bathroom because we were both running late. I wanted to argue about TV channels and have my life be a constant sleepover.

When I came home from school or from a play date or from after school activities, I came back to just my parents. No one my age who I could really talk to. I'd sit at the dinner table, have the generic family conversation -- How was school? How was your day? Any homework? Blah blah blah -- and then I'd lock myself in my room to do my own thing.

The only thing that got me through my childhood, before I made really close friends and all that, were my cousins. Although I didn't have siblings, they made it feel like I did.

So thank you to my cousins for never failing to make every family party and get together fun. Thank you for coming with me to "take a walk" before Thanksgiving dinner or just in between any gathering that eventually became too much to handle.

Thank you for making my house your own and vice versa. Thank you for always being a place I could go to with no call or no text to warn you I was even on my way. Thank you for yelling at me to shut up when you wanted to sleep and I wanted to stay awake, and thank you for annoying me to death when I was the one who needed rest.

Thank you for fully understanding how crazy my family is when I need to talk about it, because you've seen it first hand. Thank you for being able to shit talk the relatives that bother us and praise the ones we love so much with complete accuracy.

Thank you for stealing all of my clothes, shoes, etc. and thank you for letting me steal yours in return. Thank you for letting me raid your makeup bag when I didn't even know how to apply a light layer of foundation and then teaching me how to perfectly apply my face.

Thank you for telling me that I can't wear normal underwear with leggings and that when it comes to eyeliner, less is more.

Thank you for dealing with me through literally every phase I've ever gone through, even if it was embarrassing to be seen with me.

Thank you for being a teacher to me my whole life. Thank you for not saying "I told you so" even when you did. Thank you for hating that boyfriend that treated me like shit and thank you for teaching me that I was worth more.

Thank you for being the first and best friend I ever had, and thank you for never letting me forget it. Thank you for growing up with me without ever growing apart.