Hey you,

We didn’t always used to be this way. When we were little kids we were super close, but as we got a little older we drifted. Things changed when we both became adults though. You still lived far, but we talk much more often now. And now I see you as more like a sister than a cousin because I don’t have anyone here to call my blood sister.

I come to you when I need your advice. Sometimes, I need an unbiased opinion and you’re usually the one that can give that to me, because you do live so far away and you’ve experienced more of life than I have. We talk about anything and everything under the sun, including what we did that day.

And much like a sister, you know some of my deepest darkest secrets, and I know some of yours. We’ve both done things that we regret in life, and even some things that we definitely don’t. Here’s my motto: there are no regrets in life, just lessons. But, in the long run, I don’t love you any less just because some of the decisions you have made.

You cheer me on when I didn’t even know I needed it. You praise me when I do well, and tell me what I could have done when something is going wrong in my life. You’re just like a big sister, you just live a little far. The distance, though, doesn’t stop us. We could talk about silly things, like how crazy your dog is being or something funny we saw on facebook. Or we could talk about the heavy topics, things that we used to ignore when we were little or smaller things that we just have never told each other. Whichever it is, we talk almost daily, and I appreciate that so much.

The tables do turn though. I’m also so proud of you. I know that you have had some bumps and bruises in life, but that's what learning experiences are for. What you’re going through might just be another mountain in life that you have to climb, and you haven't been given enough credit for the amount of mountains that you’ve had to overcome. And just don’t forget: mountains have hills so you have something to climb on to reach the top.

Love,

Your little cousin