Between the war zone, as we fight for appetizers and the unlimited games we play at family parties, I never get a chance to tell you how much you mean to me. You were my first friends next to my siblings and will always be considered best friends. There is no title like a cousin; you are the perfect combination of a friend and sibling. We act like best friends and are as close as siblings -- minus getting on eachother’s nerves. You are the ones I can take risks with and do things we know we probably shouldn’t. Luckily, we come in numbers. Unlike siblings, there are enough of us where it is too difficult to pin the blame on just one person for our crazy ideas. It is either everyone or no one, but of course you guys could make being in trouble an adventure somehow. You can make a game from thin air and create fun no matter where we are. Whenever we are together, my age easily drops by 10 years; you never fail to bring out the kid in me.

Thank you for teaching me every card game and game in general that I know and getting just angry enough while playing to keep it entertaining without getting too out of hand. OK, sometimes it may get a little out of hand. You were the ultimate babysitters. You were also the only babysitters I likely did not give a hard time because I was so excited when I knew it would be you. If I had known you would use stories from babysitting me as a source of embarrassment with any of my future boyfriends, I would still do it all over again.

Thank you for any scar on my body that comes with some wild story as a result of some dare or one of the games we made up. If It weren’t for you guys, I would not have nearly as many stories to tell. When you weren’t busy bruising my backbone in some type of sporting competition, you were helping me build one. You always encouraged me to be strong and were always there for me during the times I couldn’t be. I have felt more than blessed to have family that I know I will always be close with despite whatever directions your talents take all of you. Though countless people say they have the best family and cousins, I will never stop saying, and truly believing, that ours is the best.

To the cousins close by, thank you for never failing to miss a birthday and for always being there for me for the important milestones. To my cousins now far away, thank you for inspiring me with your independence and for remaining close to me despite the distance. You are friends, you are family, and you are the best of the best at being both.