If you’re lucky enough to have cousins who are close to you in age (or any cousins in general) you’ll know what I mean when I say cousins are the best friends you can have. My sister and I were always around my cousins from the moment they were born. The four of us were forced to spend time together when we were little due to both our parents’ work schedules. Although we may not have always gotten along, I am so thankful for that time because it turned us in to the friends that we are today.
Cousins are like built-in friends; they’re already in your life even before you meet other friends. You don’t have to go through any of the awkward stages of early friendships. You don’t have to go through the nervousness of talking to them for the first time, or trying to figure out what interests you have in common. You don’t need to worry about if they’ll think you’re weird or if you’ll run out of things to talk about. From the minute you’re born, you’re all in this together, whether you like it or not.
If you’re friends with your cousins, holidays are a lot more exciting and a lot less painful. Holidays can be stressful when they consist of what feels like a million of your older relatives asking about college, work, and relationships. But it’s nice knowing that your cousins are getting the same questions thrown at them too, and you can suffer through it together. It also gives you something else to look forward to aside from the break from school, presents and food; you get to see your best friend and spend the day with them.
Being friends with your cousins is great because they already know how messed up your family can be (or is). They know when things are bad and they know when you don’t want to talk about it, but they are always there when you do want to talk. You know that whatever happens at home, they will always be there to help you feel better.
Family vacations with your cousins are the best. Nothing beats long car rides and longer beach days spent with your best friends. There’s none of that awkwardness that can sometimes accompany vacations with another friend and their family because in this case, your “friend’s” family is your family too.
Going away to college will not affect your friendship. Many times people will drift away from their friends from high school but that won’t happen when it comes to cousins. They will always be there when you get back and you will definitely see them during your breaks and on holidays, because at the end of the day, you’re family first.
You don’t have to worry that a fight will ruin your relationship. You can fight about the littlest or biggest things and piss each other off to no end, and the next day it will be like it never happened. Even if your other family members are fighting, it will never affect the friendship between cousins.
People always complain about how you can’t choose your family, but in my case I’m happy because within my family I found two of my best friends. If you’re lucky enough to have cousins, cherish them, because they are friends that will be in your life forever.