"Are ya'll twins?"

I wish I had a dollar for every time I have every heard that phrase come out of someone's mouth about me and my cousin. Seriously, I could almost retire....and have a Chanel wardrobe. They say cousins have a special place in your heart-especially if you are close. My Wood family is a pretty close bunch....and I don't have a childhood memory without Bailey. Whether it was at Nana's or school, me and Bai were usually attached at the hip. We are very close in age (she's older by 2 months and 4 days!) and we both have red hair, same height and body build (mostly), but when we were young, all of the people we met thought we were twins. It was honestly every day someone asked us. I remember I was so excited when Bai actually moved schools and came to Daniel Morgan and became a Patriot :). Even then, teachers and students all asked us, 'Are ya'll twins?" I remember saying no to one person and them asking 'are you sure?" YES, I am sure....weirdo. Anyways, Bai is considered one of my best friends/cousins. Not only have we been in the same grade all of our lives (and most of the same classes----HOLLER at AP Calculus!-best. class. ever.) But I even got to see her at Christmas and Thanksgiving, and Summer! We had a great group of friends in middle school and that was the best time. Bai, Me, Casey and Brittany had the best time in middle school and on into high school and the inside jokes and memories were countless! I still laugh about all kinds of things that we did---mostly stupid, but still fun. After high school, I thought me and Bai were done with being in the same grade together :(  She was planning on going to Winthrop and I was going to USC Upstate....BUT Bai received a scholarship to USC Upstate and decided to come with me! I was so relieved and soo excited because I KNEW someone my freshmen year! While apparently she was on the "Smart" 4th floor of the Palmetto house and I was on the 1st floor (which as Blake and Lee put it-the 'slow' floor), it was still awesome. That year, we spent MOST of our time "Studying" in the 4th floor lobby and laughing. I believe that first year, I laughed so much--probably more than I have ever! So, I got to spend 4 more years with Bai, at the same school and still see her on Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Summers! It was great. We had so much fun together.
While the fun memories with Bai are what I like to remember all together, we have had some downs in 26 years of knowing each other. Yes, we've fought and got mad at each other, but we have always, always come back to love. I mean that's what it is. I love Bai as a friend, but it also goes deeper than that. I love her as family, too. Some of my favorite things about Bai is that she's different. She doesn't care if NO ONE else likes something, she'll like it cause she likes it. She's about the only person who had a camouflage purse and rocked it very classy :). She's stubborn and has a temper---which all red heads do! But she will stand up for her family and friends in a heartbeat, whether she thinks they are right or not. She LOVES her nephews and is probably the best aunt that anyone could ever ask for. She's hilarious and should definitely have her own TV show--I know I would watch. Bai is also one of the most thoughtful people in the world. I can't tell you how many times she has given me a "gift" for just the heck of it! So, maybe I'm not an actual 'TWIN" to Bailey---physically. But the inside would be what I would hope to copy. The loving, fearless, thoughtful, kind, and beautiful person that I know. :) Love you Bai.