Somewhere down the road, or even right now, you may be called the "cool" cousin. You'll be at a family party, playing with the photo filters on your phone and showing your younger cousins some dance moves. One of them will look up at you and say something like, "You're really, really cool," and your self-esteem will skyrocket. You'll feel like you're on top of the world — like you could start a new fashion trend, post a picture on social media and get thousands of likes, or rock a stage like Hannah Montana. But, you should know this: The importance of being the cool cousin is much more than a label or having a closet full of the trendiest clothes. Hang tight, I'll tell you why.
Before I get into it, though, I want you to think about when you were a little kid. Take a walk down Nostalgia Lane, and remember what it was like to be the smallest person in the room. At the time, you probably looked up to one of your older cousins, or an aunt who had been everywhere in the world. To this day, you swear that a spotlight shined down on them every time they talked, laughed, or made a simple joke.
Now, snap back to reality and realize that you're that person for your cousins. You're considered "cool," and that's a super important label for these five reasons and many more.
First things first: Being the cool cousin means that you're a role model for your family members. They look at you and think, "I want to be just like them someday." They act based on what they think you would do in any given situation, and listen intently when you have something to say.
Don't take that lightly, OK? Remind yourself of that every time you share an opinion or post something on social media. Sure, it may seem like a lot of pressure. But, it's also a constant reason to pat yourself on the back.
You've reached a huge level of success in someone else's eyes, and should celebrate your accomplishments. Even the little victories, like finding the best leather jacket on sale or coming up with the wittiest Instagram captions are worth cueing the confetti.
At some point, one of your cousins may send you a text with the phrase, "What do you think?" They'll give you a rundown on a situation that they're dealing with, or a picture of an outfit that they just picked up at the mall. They want a second opinion from you — aka, someone that they know they can trust.
You see, as the cool cousin, you've also gotten the reputation of being honest and blunt. Part of what makes you so "cool" is that you start your own trends and embrace having your own opinion.
Other people come to you, knowing that you're going to be genuine and steer them in the right direction. It's essential that you remember to continue to be respectful, kind, and most importantly, you.
Thanks to you, your family has a group chat. Actually, it has a few that you started, so that everybody can keep in touch. There's one with your grandparents and all the grandkids, and another that's meant for just your cousins. To be honest: That's your favorite of all the chats, because it's always filled with memes and things that brighten your day.
Every once in a while, though, the chat goes silent. People might get busy with their own lives, schedules, and routines, that they stop sending the fun quizzes titled, "What kind of pasta dish are you?" and their latest theories for Game of Thrones.
It falls on your shoulders to keep the conversation going, and you always glad take on the responsibility. You ask how everyone's doing — what's new in the cousin crew, if you will. That's one of many reasons why you're the cool cousin.
Being the cool cousin does mean that you're so on trend. You keep up with pop culture, and always know the latest drama going on with your favorite celebrities. You also listen to all the new albums when they drop, and send out tweets that sometimes go viral.
So, when any member of your family needs the 4-1-1, they always come to you. They know that you'll give them good information, or the perfect definition of a meme. You may even pull up example for reference, like Grumpy Cat or Evil Kermit.
It may not seem like an important part of your role, but it is! To your family, you're the one who's forward-thinking and participating in the world constantly — and that really is cool when you think about it.
Last but not least, the cool cousin is in charge of making family parties so much more fun — and you do! Most of the time, you're the one to start the games of charades or capture the flag, or suggest that it's time to open presents on the holidays. What would everyone do without you?
Even just your presence at the party tends to make it so much brighter. Your smile lights up the room, and your laugh is contagious. Your family members love starting conversations with you, because they know you're going to have great travel stories, or be interested in what's happening in their lives. That's, well, cool!
So, now do you understand why your role is so much more than a label? It's a really important job, and one that you've naturally earned. I'll send your selfie to NASA, OK? You're a star.
