To have a little sister is many girls’ dream. You think about how awesome it will be to play with her, have her as your sidekick, and even as embarrassing as it is, have matching outfits for your family’s Christmas card. I have had all of those experiences with my little sister, but they have been a bit different. I am ten, yes I said TEN, years older than my little sister. I am on the brink of being non-relatable and almost “uncool” to her many times. Leaving her for college when she was only eight-years-old was very hard. I often miss out on important events in her life. I have had the matching outfits, and common moments with Kathleen, but at the same time we are from totally different worlds and decades. As a nostalgic twenty-year-old, I often think back on my time as a tween. My only concerns were what would happen on the latest Zoey 101 and Hannah Montana episodes. Life was so simple then. Times have changed since I was ten, and Kathleen is living a different life than I did at her age. She is out there running around with her iPhone taking Snapchats with her friends and begging me to use my email address so she can sign up for a Twitter account. The generation gap is most definitely present in our relationship, but I like to think of myself as Kathleen’s older and wiser sister who has valuable life experiences and advice to pass down to her.
The two biggest pieces of advice I want to give to you, Kathleen, are to find your true friends, and be whomever you want to be. These two things go hand-in-hand because your friends are the ones who will support you and help you grow. Take every opportunity you receive to better yourself and find who you really are. It may take a bit to find this best possible self, but it’s all a part of growing up. When I was ten years old, life was so simple, but I had a problem. I was between friends groups and didn’t really know who my real friends were. By the end of it all, I knew who they were: Ailish, Beth, and Amy. We have been through it all together. We grew up, and as adults we’re still stronger than ever. We always keep each other grounded and still to this day, make sure we all stay true to whom we are. Throughout the years, things may have come between us such as high school, and new friends, but we made our way back to each other. My best friends from growing up mean the world to me; I want Kathleen to feel that too. Life is going to throw curve balls and people are going to try and bring you down. Nobody should ever make you feel small. Stick to your values and stand up for yourself. Surround yourself with people and experiences that make you your best possible self!