Cousins can either be our built-in friends, or the people you smile and bear at family events because you have to deal with them and love them no matter what. I’m the luckiest girl in the world because I was blessed with you as my cousin and my best friend. Our mo’s are sisters, and that’s enough validation for me to consider us sisters, too. We have been together since literal birth (well, your birth and then me being four months old). I think since the moment we started walking and talking, our family knew we were going to be trouble. I think that our moms thought that our hiding in each other’s closets in an attempt to escape leaving each other would end once we at least became teenagers, but here we are, 19 and still throwing fits when we have to part ways. What else would they expect when they’re trying to separate two halves of a whole?! It’s partially our fault for our closeness anyway. I don’t think a week goes by where one of our moms ask us if we’ve talked to each other because they’re worried about us just for us to call each other and find out that we’re both perfectly fine.

No one gets each other more in our family than we get each other. At family gatherings, we are attached at the hip and probably somewhere causing mischief or just being anti-social from the rest of the family. We found a way to seclude ourselves from the rest of the family since I can remember. When you’re not at family events, I’m like a lost puppy and am probably telling really funny jokes that no one laughs at, but if you were there you would get them and would probably be losing it. But, even when you’re not here, we’re probably just Facetiming anyway because we can’t go too long without seeing each other’s faces, and neither of us want to miss out on what’s going on. Also, we just get how crazy our family is in general better than anyone. I don’t think anyone would believe the shit that actually goes down in our family, and I’m so thankful to have you to gossip with and to stand by me when our family gets a little out of control (who am I kidding, our family has never been in any kind of control).

I couldn’t imagine going through our never-ending awkward stage with anyone else. Literally never-ending. We’ve seen each other through it all. Your braces and side bangs to my toothy smile and black hair with a layer of blonde underneath. We’re getting better, but I don’t think (more like hope we haven’t) gotten to our full potential yet.

I love that we love to match each other no matter how old we get. From wearing matching Old Navy shirts with a Golden Retriever on them to Knoebel’s when we were five, to those “Don’t Break My <3” off the shoulder shirts when we were 15, we have always let everyone know that we are tacky and proud. I love your weird obsession with your dog and all of the many other weird things about you (like the creepy way you can point your lip; you know that’s my fav trick of yours). I love how honest you are with me about absolutely everything. Whether it’s me sending you 10 selfies and asking which one is best to telling me how much of a dirtbag the boy I’m talking to is, you always have my best interest at heart and have no problem telling me exactly how it is. I love how much we laugh when we’re together, even if you do sometimes literally make me pee myself in the back of your mom’s car. I could go on for days about all of my favorite things about you and us, but I think the thing I love most is that through it all you’ve stuck by my side. Even if you are family, you still choose to be next to me in my best and worst times, and I could never tell you how much that means to me. You were my first friend, and if I ever find someone crazy enough to marry me, you'll be my maid of honor. So thank you for being not only my family, but my best friend and sister. To show my appreciation, I’ll leave you with the same words of encouragement you always give me when I need it most…”But Slim, what if you win?”