I was recently reacquainted with my many cousins, thanks to Grandma who decided to have 10 kids back in the day, and here’s what I’ve concluded about having a big family:

1. Noise is something you are well accustomed to and you automatically speak as loud as you can when you’re around your family. The fact that you are all in the same room and not in different countries is a concept that was lost on you a long time ago.

2. At family get togethers it’s rare if you are able to make it through the crowd to talk to every member of the family. You’d have better luck making it past every pit stop on the Amazing Race.

3. Planning a family get together requires managing more logistics than a small wedding. Not that you’d know anything about one of those.

4. You can’t keep track of everyone’s ages, and you’re always shocked to find out your youngest cousins aren’t cute and 4 years old anymore.

5. Sadly your family seems to always be shocked that you aren’t young and cute anymore either.

6.Trying to take family portraits is a mission. And sometimes the pictures turn into a real life “Where’s Waldo?”

7. Saying good-bye at the end of a get together takes forever, and you know not to attempt to leave until people actually make it out the door.

8. Alone time and down time do not exist. Ever.

9. You don’t even contemplate bringing a significant other around until you’re sure he/she is “the one”……and that he/she won’t contemplate escaping when they meet the quirkiest of the family members.

10. You can try to “find” yourself as much as you want, but you can’t always escape the reputation your older siblings/cousins pass on to you. Especially when hand me-downs are a thing.

11. You think of your Grandparents as mythological Gods sometimes–the sheer number of kids, grandchildren and great-grandchildren blows your mind.

12. The family grapevine makes you wonder whether your aunts missed their callings as secret service agents or tabloid reporters. They always seem to have the inside scoop on everything.

13. The stories from the past NEVER get old.

Even though having a big family can be good, bad and even ugly you wouldn’t have it any other way . At the end of the day, you have a huge group of amazing friends.

Want to share your experiences with having a big family? Tweet your stories to @TamilCulture.

Feature image source: A Beautiful Day Photography.