Although my nephew really is my second cousin, I call him my nephew. My cousin is like my brother, his wife like my sister … so it’s only natural to call their son my nephew. And also my best friend.
There are so many perks of being an aunt in general. You get a squishy, lovable, little bundle of laughter (most days) to cuddle and play with. You get a mini human that you can watch grow up. You get a little person that will watch you as they grow up into their own person with their own personality. But being a YOUNG aunt is a whole other story.
Being a young aunt is the coolest thing in the world. There are 18 years between my nephew and I and we are thick as thieves. I’m one of the only people that has been able to put him to sleep after long nights out. I’m one of the only people that he wakes up happy to. This child is so spoiled by me. Even as a newborn, he had me wrapped right around his finger. He had Calvin Klein bibs when he was 4 months old. Yeah, Calvin Klein. I also bought him an AC/DC onesie because I mean, come on. This kid has to grow up with the right music. And I fully plan on blaring Michael Jackson in the car wherever we go together so he turns into as much of a crazy fanatic as I am.
I have best friends. But no one really compares to my nephew. Now, some may think “Okay, that’s a little weird … being best friends with someone 18 years younger than you.” But it’s true. I would rather spend a whole day with my nephew than go out to a party. When he gets older, I’ll take him to amusement parks and Niagara Falls and New York City. We’ll have adventures. He’ll get crazy amounts of candy and toys (because who can so no to a precious little puppy dog face?). Some people know exactly what I’m talking about. There is a bond like no other between an aunt and her niece or nephew.
But I can say that one of the things I'm looking forward to the most is watching him grow. That’s also something that I’m least looking forward to, but that’s a whole other topic. I get the privilege of standing beside my beloved little man as he grows and grows, speaks his first word, takes his first step, starts his first day of school … and then grows and grows and becomes a unique person of his own, with dreams and ambitions. Being a young aunt, I get to see him succeed in so much of life and watch him blossom into the amazing man I know he will become while still figuring life out for myself. I just hope that I will be as much of an inspiration to him as I know he will be for me.
I have the greatest family in the world. Siblings, parents, cousins, nephew. Family really is everything. Without family, we really have nothing in this world. Whether you are blood related or not, family is still family. As for my nephew; shout out to my cousin and his wife for giving me the best best friend and adventure buddy in the world. And hey, if he grows up to be anything like his aunt, he’ll be pretty awesome.
