Honestly, being the younger sister is a pretty sweet deal. Sure, you had to put up with a couple of years of torture as a kid, but all in all, having a big sister is great. She’s your sibling, best friend, and third parent all in one, and you don’t know what you would do without her. Here are 10 things that our older sisters totally deserve some recognition for:

1. She’s your lifeline at those uncomfortable family gatherings. From the overly-critical grandparent to that eccentric man that you aren’t 100 percent sure how you’re related to, she’s already learned how to navigate the terribly tense family reunions, and she always comes to your aid when you give her the look from across the dinner table.
2. She feeds you when your parents are M.I.A. 18 years old and still not sure how to make dinner for yourself? No worries. Big sisters are basically like having a second mom; she won’t let you starve.
3. She already broke in your parents, so anything you do can’t be that bad. Your parents just aren’t as shocked when you come home too drunk at age 17, because they’ve already dealt with the unruly teenager phase.
4. She’s always down for a good movie and wine night. When you just don’t want to go out and be among humans, your big sis is the go-to for a relaxing night at home.
5. She’s not afraid to tell you like it is. She can be brutally honest with you when your outfit looks awful or you’re dating a total jerk because, hey, you’re basically required to still love her.
6. She let you hang out with her older, cooler, and wiser friends. Even when you were an obnoxious pre-teen, she’d occasionally let you stay in her room to hang with her and her hip friend group, and those moments were invaluable.
7. She provided you with an entire second (stolen) wardrobe. Let’s face it, she didn’t just not realize when her favorite tank top mysteriously disappeared. She let it go when you took half her closet to college with you because she’s just that good of a person.
8. She’s basically your personal life coach. She talked you through your first breakup, your first hangover, and your first move.
9. She taught you that sometimes you just have to suck it up. All those times that she tortured you as a kid by dressing you up in ridiculous outfits or making you her personal servant for the day were actually character building experiences.
10. She’s always a phone call away. Even when you haven’t talked in weeks because you live in different states and you’ve both been insanely busy, you can pick up right where you left off- and she’s always there to talk when you need her.