You learn that the right people will always understand you.

Your cousins have been with you since day one. They’ve seen and loved you through all your different phases, from your awkward middle school years to your moody teenage era to your wild early 20s. They know you in a way no one else will. You never feel the need to explain yourself to your cousins; they already understand.

You learn that disagreements will happen (and you learn that’s totally okay).

When you grow up with your cousins as your best friends, you quickly learn that you’re not always going to see eye to eye with the people you love most. So you learn how to have healthy disagreements. You learn how to forgive. You learn how to apologize. And, most importantly, you learn how to let shit go.

You learn how to laugh at yourself.

No one knows you as well as your cousins do. This means they also know the parts of you they can poke fun at. They see all your quirks and flaws and find a way to bring lightness to those qualities. You learn that your downfalls don’t make you unlovable; they make you human. You might as well laugh about it! Your cousins are, after all.

You learn what love truly is.

Your cousins have been with you through the ups and downs of life, the biggest family dramas, the hardest nights. Your cousins stuck around when other people left. They love you unconditionally, and you them. Your cousins showed you what love is and how you’ll never be without it.

You learn how to be a good friend.

Your cousins taught you how to be the best friend you can be. They showed you how to be supportive and caring and loyal and fun.

You learn how to be grateful.

You can’t choose your family, but you know if you could, you would choose yours again and again and again. You feel lucky and humbled you have the family you were given. You can’t imagine a life without your cousins and you don’t want to. You’re too grateful they exist.