They were your first friends, the ones who your parents forced you to play with as soon as you could crawl on your own. Your older cousins were the ones who taught you the difference between what was cool and what was not, and your younger cousins were the ones you tried to teach what was cool and bullied them until they threatened to tell their mom, or worse, your mom. Coming home from school for the holidays means quality bonding time with your family and you and your cousins get to get together and talk about what you've been up to and gossip about the latest family drama. No matter how long you've been apart, it's like no time has passed once you are all together.

1. They know everything about you, whether you're proud of it or not. They know alllllll about those 9 years of Irish dancing you try to hide from everyone.

2. They know exactly how to get you out of trouble with your parents. They may have been the ones to get you into trouble in the first place, but when your parents were coming after you, you could always count on them to share the blame.

3. You can always count on them to remember the stories from your childhood. Some stories you wish they would forget, like the one where you peed your pants when you got scared during hide and seek.

4. They make your family gatherings a little more enjoyable. Sometimes the simplest things can make family time a little more lively, like playing charades or other games you've come up with, especially after a few glasses of wine.

5. You share inside jokes that no one else understands. Some conversations make absolutely no sense to outsiders, but how else are you supposed to keep your deep, dark secrets from the rest of the fam?

6. They are your role models. If you are the oldest, you had to set an example for the younger kids because you had to go through everything first. If you are younger, your older cousins were the coolest people you know and you always wanted to be like them.

7. There is no need to impress your family. Sure, you want to show off your trendiest outfits and talk about all the great things that have happened to you, but underneath it all they love you for who you are.

8. Age doesn't matter. You are just as close as your cousin who is 2 months older than you as you are your cousin who is 10 years younger than you.

9. You can argue all you want, but at the end of the day you still love each other. Whether it's toys, food, friends or something more significant, there is nothing that can separate your bond.

10. They were your first best friends. There are few people that you can say knew you from birth, but they are one and there is something about that relationship that is so special.