Getting a little is the ultimate gift you can get from your sorority. You get to have the sense of being a mentor to a new girl and get to be there for her whenever you need her. But the long days and nights leading up to the big reveal can be the most stressful moments of your life, especially like most future bigs do… Waiting last minute. So here are to all the last minute bigs and the stresses that come with getting all your little’s gifts.
1. Painting, Painting, Painting
Painting canvases, coolers, wine glasses, and more. Nothing says little baskets like the abundance of crafts. Staying up the night before painting canvases that need to be in the basket is a very normal thing. The best way to go is to pass down everything you got, but you definitely will find yourself painting at least something. But you can make it fun, maybe some wine and design?
2. Not being artistic
The first stress can be bad when you wait last minute. But, nothing is more worse than when you can’t even have the ability to paint everything to begin with. Then it becomes the stress of this type of person’s roommate who is artistic that has to paint all her little’s canvases. I.e. me with my roommate right now. Or you have to buy the crafts from others, which adds to the next stress on the list.
3. Money
The things you give them doesn’t come from the great almighty big tree. It definitely is an investment. Whether your sorority has certain themes to maintain through the days the fillers to the baskets you put everything in has a price. It is definitely something to budget for. Tip, for the little fillers, the dollar store is your best friend.
4. When you rush the spring before
You have only been in the sorority for a few months and now you are expected to have all these t-shirts and sorority things to give them. When in reality they expect you to give more tshirts then you even own or could possibly own.
5. Twins
It is one thing to actually get yourself prepared to get a little, but nothing is last minute then when twins come into the play. Whether you end up liking two girls, or there are too many new girls. Lots of girls can find themselves getting twins. Especially here at ECU the potential new girls rushing, the list gets bigger and bigger every year, that means that as the pledge classes get bigger and more girls that need bigs. But if you were not planning on getting twins and end up with them it is a whole new stress that you have to get double the things done.
6. The amount of gifts per day
Usually, sororities either give you a list of things to give your little or a budget in which you should spend; give or take. This insures that everyone’s gifts are the same and the littles feel equally. It also makes it fair financially for everyone. But of course there are always girls that go way out. Luckily, there is usually someone to monitor to make sure everyone is equal!
7. School
Big/ little just happens to always fall right around midterms. So not only are you trying to get everything together for your little, you also need to be in the library studying you behind away for the test leading up. Just a lovely additive to all the stresses. Caffiene is the only thing getting us all through it.
8. Trying to think of a big/little reveal outfit
Everyone is trying to come up with the next best and funny big/little outfits. Whether you go simply with a tank that says big and little on it that match or a crazy theme, it is usually the last thing on bigs’ minds as they try to get everything together. So, when you are running around trying to find ideas and end up making the shirts the day before the last basket to give to your little to wear. The stress is like no other it is the last stretch to finally be a big and not a secret anymore.
Overall, the days leading up can be the most stressful thing ever. But nothing is more exciting and rewarding than big/little reveal. Just to be able to give all the gifts and see the look on their faces when they finally get to see who their big is, is the icing to the whole week. It might have been the most stressed I have been in awhile, but now that I am officially a big to the best littles, yes I have twins, it was all worth it. I know to call you little the best little ever is most cliché thing any big can say, but every big feels that way. Adding to your family is always a blessing.