To my Older Sister,
You’ve been there through it all—from the confusion of my first tooth loss to the tears and anger of my first heartbreak. You’ve been there with a helping hand, a new playlist for each mood and every road trip and the occasional late night run to Giant for ice cream. I’ve thanked you for a lot, sometimes without even thinking about it, but here’s a thank-you for everything you’ve done for me—you of all people know how much Mom likes a good thank-you note.
Thank you for leading by example and letting me follow you and your older, cooler friends around like a puppy. I’m sure having a tag-along little sister was the absolute last thing you guys wanted, but it meant the world to me when I was allowed to hang out with the “cool” kids. And thanks for still letting me do this today, though I do like to think I’m somewhat less annoying. As for all the times you kicked me out, well, I was the obnoxious younger sister. No hard feelings.
Thank you for all the late-night talks, movies, study sessions and phone calls to help me keep my sanity. When we both still lived at home, my favorite moments were the times you poked your head in my room and asked if I wanted to watch Mean Girls, even though you told me over and over how “contrived” that movie was (SO not fetch). I hate that we live so far apart, but love knowing that every time we’re home you’ll be willing to watch Baby Mama or yet another episode of The Office with me.
Thank you for understanding my moods that fluctuate more than, well, anything. You always knew when I was about to lose it in a fight with mom and would step in JUST before I said something I would’ve instantly regretted. You always understood when I just needed to flop down on your bed and have a good cry, and would be there to listen to whatever small drama was plaguing me after my store of tears was out. Likewise, you understood when I needed to be alone, let me stew in my room and would still be there to listen whenever I was ready to emerge from “my nest” as mom calls it.
Thank you for driving my extremely unappreciative adolescent self and my equally unappreciative friends everywhere and not noticeably rolling your eyes when all we wanted to listen to was Top 40. Thank you for letting me practice driving your car all over creation when I needed to get my practice hours in—and not yelling at me too much when I hit that pole. As for all the late night drives we went on, whether it was in search of ice cream, food or just to drive—well, thanks for teaching me all the words to Rebel Girl and showing me better music than the bubblegum garbage (or whatever it was you called it) that I listened to. Thank you for picking me up after my first date with the boy of my dreams, letting me giggle about him for the entire ride back and listening to every tiny detail of the evening.
Thank you for sticking by my side through all those family events; all the weddings, dinners, brunches, trips, Thanksgivings, Christmases and vacations— you know, the ones where we were too young to drink and too old to be at the kids table. Together, we drew more monsters than I can count; made up more stories than I can recall; and gossiped about more people than I can remember. And thank you for (sometimes) coming to my defense when I said something stupid at these events and not laughing at me too loudly all the times I did.
Thank you for always picking up my calls, listening to more boy drama than anyone would care to hear in a lifetime, editing my college essays, enduring my never-ending rants about how unfair this class or that teacher was, for keeping me smiling after surgery or the flu, all the times you let me borrow your clothes (even when I didn’t ask), all the inside jokes, and all the times you could’ve told mom and dad but chose to keep yet another secret.
Thank you for being you, sissy. Thank you for being the best role model I could’ve had, and for always keeping me humble, centered and laughing.
Thank you for being my best friend for life. You don’t really have a choice in the matter—we’re in this together.
Infinite X’s and O’s,
Your Little Sister