By Eliza Shaw
I am the baby of the family, the youngest of three, and my sister is a whopping 8 years older than me. Although when we were younger this seemed like a world of difference, there is nobody in this universe I love, respect, or relate to more. This is almost impossible to write because I love my sister more than anything and choosing just a couple things to say is like choosing my absolute favorite character on The Office…impossible.
So what are the exact reasons that I know my sister is my hero? I want to start with the fact that she loves me unconditionally. As I begin my college career, I am certainly discovering a lot about myself, both positive and negative. No matter what the time of day it is, I can (and do!) call my sister and rant about how sad, angry, or happy I am. There is truly no limit on what I can say to her about how I feel.
Likewise, I have not met anyone in my entire life, other than my sister, who has the ability to calm me down in moments of panic. Whether it be in person or over the phone, my sister always knows what to say. My sister is also incredibly smart. My sister went to Tufts University undergrad and decided to get her Ph. D. in psychology. Every time someone asks me what my sister is doing now I tell them with pride––I don’t let anyone forget how smart she is.
One last reason why my sister is my hero is that I have overcome anxiety, friendship dilemmas, eating disorders, all the works… and she has never missed a beat in helping me. When I couldn’t go to school because I was so anxious, she was the one holding my hand and telling me that everything would be okay. When I came home from middle school devastated because my friends ditched me at lunch, she was equally there to tell me how mean they were and how amazing I was. And when I refused to eat in high school because it would make me “too fat”, she was my voice of reason. She was the one telling me that I am beautiful just the way I am. She is a huge reason why I accept and embrace my body today.
I am a very indecisive person but there is one thing I know for sure: I have an unconditional and unwavering love for my sister. We share similar taste in music, clothing, and froyo…and I even talk like her! I am proud to be her mini-me, and I have learned so much from my sister.
She was my math tutor when I just couldn’t get it myself. She was my therapist when all I needed was some calming down. She was the comedian whenever I needed it (which is always––did I mention she is absolutely hilarious?). She was my best friend when I came home crying from a party. And most importantly, she is and will always be my family.
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