Your cousins are typically your first friends, usually giving you the foundation of what having a companion really is. There are many different friendships you encounter in your lifetime, but your cousins are the everlasting type. They are almost forced to love you which makes your relationship so much stronger because you can be yourself 100% without worry. They know every embarrassing aspect of your life and can relate to you more than anybody else due to growing up in the same family.

I'll let some characters from FRIENDS explain a little more....

1. You can be yourself because no matter what, they are forced to love you. Weirdness and all, your cousins have to love you. So, express your inner weirdness.

2. You don't have to worry about sharing your food with them. Steal it, take it all. What are they going to do, tell on you?

3. They are literally the only person that knows you, so they know how to calm you down. They are your "go to" in every sticky situation.

4. When you are at your worst, they are always there. Ready to laugh at how humiliating your life is right beside you.

5. Cruel sense of humor is the best way to go. Like I said before, they have to love you so let the rude jokes spew out of your mouth like a volcano erupting.

6. Family gatherings don't suck as much when you have somebody to complain about your creepy uncle with.

7. They judge you when you tell them what's new in your life, but it's okay. You need to hear how stupid you are every now and then.

8. Let's be honest, it's so much fun to start talking about college stories when you have dinner with their parents.

9. Remember that time they gave you the chicken pox before your school pictures? Yeah, because of that they are required to hold your hair back.

10. You always love seeing which guy they bring home to family get-togethers. There's no telling what the cat may drag in. (seriously, you should see some of the guys mine brought home, haha.)

11. They are there for you when you go through your awkward and ugly stages, and still claim you.

12. They give the best relationship advice because they only want what's best for you (and they don't want you to have ugly children).

13. If you are going to make a horrible decision, why not make it with them?

14. She's your person.

15. They are ALWAYS down to listen to you vent. Oh, and they love when you ugly cry in front of them.

16. The harsh criticism can actually be refreshing... sometimes.

17. And maybe if you're lucky, you will meet somebody just as weird as you and your cousin that will share the mutual weirdness voluntarily because they love you.

18. Like I said, they love to see you ugly cry.

20. Need a last minute wing man? You know you can count on them.

21. Although they slip up and tell your parents secrets every now and then...

22. If you are in a bind, they usually have a shovel and a map in hand, ya know, just in case.

23. They didn't think you were cool in high school, and they still don't believe you are cool. So there's never any pressure to act like somebody you're not.

24. No matter what, at the end of the day, they are always there for you.