You love them, but you don't. You wonder if they are really related to you, but you hope that they are not. No matter how embarrassing your relatives are, they are family, and that is what makes you love them. Aunts, uncles, and cousins, the most common relatives, are the ones who vary the most. They are your best friends, worst enemies, or a little bit of both. Maybe your relatives are the most unique people you have ever met, but that is what makes them interesting. No matter how hard they try to deny it, there are those certain types of relatives that are similar for many people and they come in all different shapes and sizes.

Annoying Aunties. These ladies are not very kind and do not really care for you. She will pretend to listen to you, and then give you a toothy smile with the "uheh, uheh, uheh" laugh, that shows how much she cares, which is obviously not much! Mom’s sister, dad’s sister, or your uncle’s wife - they are big and loud and always think they are right. Aunties do not care if your future is going somewhere interesting, but if you don’t have any plans yet, she will turn your little molehill into a mountain. She will ask what you plan to do after high school and if you don’t have an appropriate, detailed response she will go around and tell everyone. “She is about to complete her junior year and she doesn’t even know what she wants to do after high school.” She’ll say to your grandparents in a magnifying voice, which ensures that everyone in the room hears her. “When I was her age, I already knew exactly where my life was going and that is why I am the woman I am today.” Just to add to your worries, she never lets you forget the time you dropped two of her favorite pies at Thanksgiving, while trying to show off your balancing skills to your cousins. Or that one time you got her a present at Christmas that was identical to the one she gave your grandma. No matter how small or big your accident or mistake was, she will bring it up every time she visits just to make you look stupid. There are only two things she cares about -her children and her life. Her stories consist only of how perfect her “little man” is or she’ll say, “Guess what the baby did yesterday. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen.” The only thing that would make both of you happy is, if she lived in one corner of the world and you in the other. But since that is never going to happen, you have to learn to love them with their numerous flaws.

Amazing Aunts. You love them and you wish their siblings were just like them. You ask yourself, why couldn’t dad be more like her? She is older than dad and cooler. She always in tip top shape and ready to do anything you want. You love going to her house and wish that you lived closer. She loves to go shopping, hang out, and play. She'll do anything you want and you will do anything she wants. She is just like your best friend and she loves to have you over. She does not really care about what you do, as long as you are safe. She is exactly how you wish your parents were, even though they never will be. She is the aunt that takes you, during your junior year, to visit different college campuses to help you see which one would suit you the best. She will then help you apply to that college and pray that you get accepted.
Uncles. They don’t need a title because they are already very interesting. Uncles are just plain different. He is not really nice, but he isn’t mean either. Your dad’s brother, mom’s brother or aunt’s husband, he just doesn’t fit in. He is nice to you, but the question is if he is a nice person or not? You really just can't tell. You do not meet him often enough to know what his true personality is like, you just catch a few glimpses here and there at Thanksgiving and Christmas. He makes you wonder what your aunt saw in him when they got married. When they say opposites attract, they are not lying.

Boring Babies. Whenever your aunt has a baby, you involuntarily become her one and only babysitter. Your aunt will call and tell your parents how hard it is with the new baby and your parents will suggest that you go and help her take care of her baby. Your new, little cousin is a very cute thing to look at until he cries. Then you have to feed him milk, change his clothes when he throws up, change his diaper when its dirty, and in the end your are not going to get any reward because it’s your duty as an older cousin to help out.

Spoiled, Little Brats. Little cousins are just so annoying. They are spoiled to death and they can get away with anything. When you break something you're in big trouble, but when your little cousin does, “She's only a child,” your mother will say. “She doesn't know any better”. Or “He was just trying to play with you, it's not his fault that he was curious about what you were doing and accidentally spilled soda on your laptop. You should have been more careful.” The days before your little cousins were born, were the days. You never got into trouble and everybody favored you because you were the youngest, but now it’s all over. Little cousins are the little brats who know how to get their way. You always insist that their evil, but who is going to believe you over a mere innocent little child.

Best Friends. These are your cousins that are the same age as you. You can relate anything with them, and they can always help you out. They keep you informed of all of the drama that goes on between quarrelling family members, and they are always on your side. You can tell them anything without ever worrying about not being friends anymore, because that family tie is always going to keep you together. You wish that she would take the place of your sister and she wishes the same. If you need good advice, whether it is about school, friends, clothes, or how to get that special guy's attention, she is the one to go to.

Ideal Cousins. These cousins are not only older, but they are your idols. You want to be just like them and follow in their footsteps. They take you places and buy you whatever you want. He can be the older brother that you never had or a replacement for the one you do have. They take you to all of the places that your parents would not take you. You always watch out for them and they watch out for you. They help you sneak out when you’re grounded and give you and your friends rides to the movies. They have perfect lives and can always give you great advice.

Overall, your relatives are the only family you have. You can't choose them; you just get stuck with them and have to make the most of it. They might not always be your favorite people, but they are your own people. There are the annoying ones, the weird ones, and the bratty ones that you would love to never meet again. But the fun ones, the creative ones, the interesting ones, and helpful ones are the ones that keep you happy and make you realize how important they are to you. Without relatives, we wouldn't have interesting lives.