Recommended for you

Start writing a post

Relationships

How Having Two Significantly Younger Cousins Changed My Life

The love of a family is life's greatest blessing.

Emily Gauss

Sep 19, 2016

Hilbert College

How Having Two Significantly Younger Cousins Changed My Life

Emily Gauss

I'm the oldest kid out of my immediate family. I'm 21 and I have a cousin (Megan) who is 17. We were actually born a day apart, 4 years apart. Up until September 26th, 2012, it was always just the two of us. We argued like we were sisters and couldn't ever be alone together for too long.

Almost 4 years ago, we were blessed with James Anthony; my cousin and her brother. This was the closest family member to me with a baby. When JJ was born, I started to grow up a lot. I wanted to spend every minute with this cute boy. Documenting his first sounds, his first words, his first steps, his potty training. He was my little angel.

On October 9th, 2014; we were blessed all over again with Allegan Lucille. JJ was now an older brother and a younger brother. My heart was bursting all over again. I documented her every move just like I had previously done with JJ. The greatest part of it all, is that she looks just like I did at her age. People are even fooled into thinking she is my own kid.

When I was 4, I wasn't able to appreciate the gift God gave me in having a cousin. I just wanted to argue with her. Granted, we still bicker to this day but I can't imagine life without her. I live to watch her play sports and succeed in everything she does. She's a beautiful human being and my best friend.

I'll be much older when JJ and Ally reach the age of 17, but it won't change the love I have for them. I'm happy, I'm significantly older than them because it makes coming home from college that much better. The first thing I do is go see them. I attempt at spending all my free time with those two little babies. My babies. It is the most amazing thing to watch them grow day by day. It honestly makes me excited to one day have my own little bundles of joy (ONE DAY FAR FROM NOW). Nothing makes me happier to hear than "I love you emmy."

It's easy to take things and your family for granted when you don't live around them. But, I look forward to the FaceTime's and the hugs and kisses I'll get when I walk through the door when I come home. Thank you Meggy, JJ, and Ally for showing me so much love. You guys are the best things in my life and I can't wait to watch each one of you do amazing things.

Report this Content

This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

Student Life

The 12 Stages Of Course Registration, As Told By "Friends"

No one best represents the struggle like our favorite 90s squad.

The State University of New York at Stony Brook

6779

YouTube

As college students, we are all familiar with the horror show that is course registration week. Whether you are an incoming freshman or selecting classes for your last semester, I am certain that you can relate to how traumatic this can be.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

Bonus points if it is more than two.

Keep Reading...Show less

registration

Featured

Economic Benefits of Higher Wages

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

Florida International University

303071

Illistrated image of people crowded with banners to support a cause

StableDiffusion

Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage would not only benefit workers and their families, it would also have positive impacts on the economy and society. Studies have shown that by increasing the minimum wage, poverty and inequality can be reduced by enabling workers to meet their basic needs and reducing income disparities.

I come from a low-income family. A family, like many others in the United States, which has lived paycheck to paycheck. My family and other families in my community have been trying to make ends meet by living on the minimum wage. We are proof that it doesn't work.

Keep Reading...Show less

Entertainment

13 Times April Ludgate Perfectly Explained College

Because who understands your bitterness better than April?

Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis

2145

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less

april ludgate

Recommended for you

How Having Two Significantly Younger Cousins Changed My Life

The love of a family is life's greatest blessing.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

No one best represents the struggle like our favorite 90s squad.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

2. When there is only one section of a popular course.

3. Receiving the 18,000 emails reminding you to register ASAP.

4. When you need to see an advisor, but they are too busy/unresponsive.

5. Trying not to dress like a bum for your appointments with your advisors/department heads.

6. When you have a perfectly planned out schedule, and one class ruins it.

7. Carefully moving things around to accommodate a different class/section.

8. Waking up at 6:00 a.m. for your enrollment time.

9. Concocting a new schedule at your enrollment time after your original plan gets changed.

10. Getting into a class and filling the last available seat.

11. When all of your classes finally go through.

12. Realizing that you forgot a class that was a pre-requisite for everything else.

When your capability of "adulting" is put to the test

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

"Nobody living in one of the most influential nations in the world should be worried about making ends meet."

What is the current minimum wage at the federal level?

What are the benefits of raising the minimum wage?

What are the states that have set a $15/hour minimum wage?

Told through Parks & Recreation GIFs

Because who understands your bitterness better than April?

1. When you have to provide an "interesting fact" for your first day ice-breaker.

2. When your professor is babbling on and on in his lecture.

3. When you edit your friend's paper and they get an A.

4. When it's 2 AM and you remember you have a test tomorrow.

5. When you finish taking the test and you're pretty sure you failed...

6. ...but then you get the test back and somehow passed.

7. When you've been up for 12 hours straight writing a paper.

8. And then you manage to stay awake in class the next day.

9. When you have to butter up your professor for an extra credit opportunity.

10. When you're assigned a group project.

11. And your group-mates are trying to chat about life instead of the assignment.

12. When it's your last class of the day and you're about to go home.

13. But then you remember rent is due tonight and the anger comes back.

Trending Topics

Top Creators

Trending Stories

Best of Relationships

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments

Subscribe to our
Newsletter