My first best friends were my cousins. They taught me everything I know, and even things I never wanted to learn-they bestowed their wise wisdom on me. I've become a woman I'm proud of, and besides my immediate family, I know I owe a huge amount of that to them.

There are a trillion reasons I could give you as to why having a cousin as your best friend is the optimal choice, but I'll refrain from all of them and only tell you, what I feel, are the most important ones.

My cousins know everything about my life. Think about it, they see what boys you're bringing home to the family parties, and they notice when he misses one.

-Where's your boyfriend?

-What happened?

-You guys okay?

-Do I need to do damage control?

They see when there is tension between you and another family member. Honestly, when it's me with the unwanted tension, I'm relatively angry and bitter towards everyone that day. When it's one of my cousins, I like to recline, get a snack, and watch it all unfold in front of me. Nothing that any of us argue about is ever that serious. Half the time when we argue it's because we talk entirely too much throughout the day and do something to get on the other one's nerves.

Cousins pass on the family gossip. I'm not sure about everyone else, but I have a decent size extended family. I know families way smaller and others 4x our size. Regardless of how small or big your family is-there is always some type of gossip.

"Did you hear they're moving to Virgina? You didn't hear it from me, but ask her if it's true..Say you overheard it at the family party.."

Or my favorite gossip..

"So, they have an announcement after dinner? Do you think they're getting divorced...no..It's Christmas they wouldn't make an announcement like that for Christmas...wh- OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD, THEY'RE PREGNANT!"

You'd think the gossip would stop over time, but it's only gotten juicer and more excessive, but my sick twisted brain loveeees it.

Your cousins have watched you grow/been there to grow with you for your entire life. They notice if any facial expression is slightly off, or if you aren't stuffing your face around the snack table before a Pens Game. If your mood is altered in the slightest, your cousins will know, they will find out, and they will kill the person responsible.

I don't have any sisters, so I get my fashion tips, hair style tips, and clothes in general from my cousins.

"Do you guys have anything that goes with a strapless blue dress with peach stripes across the top?"

..

To which one of them responds:

"send a pic"

*insert pic*

"yeah come over."

I think what's even better than growing up with girl cousins as your best friend is when they start to have children. The girl's you watched grow now are raising mini people that resemble them; my best friends.. I truthfully don't think there is anything more exciting.

I've been through every stage with my cousins. They understand every little thing about me, and when people use to say: "I wish I was as close to people as you are to your cousins", I took pride in that. Our relationship is a crazy one, but I'm super appreciative and lucky to have it. We may argue when the other one is snippy in a group chat, or get annoyed with the other person when she said she'd go out but decided to stay in, but at the end of the day we love each other-crazy genes and all.

as my best friends. I can only hope one day, my children are just as lucky.