12. Holiday parties are never boring.
Christmas Eve when your uncle is talking politics and your grandma is asking you about your love life, you need something to lighten up the party. That’s why God blessed you with cousins, to play board games with you and make fun of your other family members across the dinner table.
11. They’re the only one that understands your family.
No one else is gonna understand the chaos. The dysfunction is too complicated, and chances are that no one is going to appreciate the insanity the way that you guys do.
10. It’s always easier to convince your parents to do something if they’re there.
The best way to convince your mom to let you go out that night is to go with your cousin. Because your cousin is like another child to your parents but just doesn’t cause them as much grief as you do, they always say yes.
9. They were the coolest babysitters you had.
Growing up, when your parents told you that your older cousins were going to babysit you that night, you were practically jumping for joy. More than likely, this meant movies, junk food, and staying up past your bedtime. This also probably made for some funny stories years later.
8. They’ve seen you at so low points, and have to love you anyways.
They’ve seen the screaming fights with your siblings, the ugly cry when you got your heartbroken, the 3am delusional version of yourself at sleepovers. They’ve seen the weirdest, rawest parts of you and are completely obligated to love you. But the greatest part is knowing that they would have chosen to love you anyways.
7. Your best childhood memories were with them.
You can always smile looking back on family picnics and play dates and holiday parties. They can give a first hand account of the crazy stories you tell about stupid things you did when you were little. You could sit around and laugh about those memories for hours.
