Joining a sorority gave me countless opportunities and introduced me to an amazing group of women I am honored to call my sisters. They are all-night study partners, brunch dates and a shoulder (or forty) to cry on. But the biggest blessing of all was getting my big. She was part mom, part best friend, part sister, but at the end of the day, she was (is) my role model. I learned so much from her, and when it came time for me to get a little, I was terrified. What would I teach her? What could I teach her? Well, little did I know she would be the one teaching me.
She taught me that:
1. Dating yourself can be better than dating another person.My little is always "dating herself".... She has never needed a guy to make herself feel validated. Her priorities are in order and having a relationship at this point in her life is something she couldn't care less about. If someone special comes along, great. If not, great. She won't accept anything less than what she deserves. The girl is as independent as it gets, and it's awesome.
2. You should never let yourself settle for "garbage."
If my little doesn't like the guy I'm interested in, she refuses to say his name and instead only refers to him as "garbage." And even when I say, "you don't know him the way I do" and go for it anyway, she never says "I told you so" when it goes up in flames.
3. Bad choices don't make you a bad person.
Whenever I get down because of a mistake I've made (sober or not), she always reminds me that I am more than that one decision. She also is talented enough to make me feel better and simultaneously hold my hair.
4. There is no such thing as too much queso.
I feel like this is self-explanatory.
5. Feeling isn't (always) a bad thing.
We are the same person when it comes to dealing with emotions. When I try to make her face her feelings, I end up facing my own. Once the walls come down, she's always there for me and I'm always there for her.
6. Alcohol isn't a necessity for having fun.
I have never met a girl who can go to a club completely sober and still be the most rockin' person there. We can also turn a two hour car ride into a full-on show, singing to passing cars as if they were our biggest fans. (But seriously, this girl can soberly body roll in a crop top while getting beer poured on her and will still be having the most fun.)
7. If you believe you're awesome, that's all that matters.
My little owns herself; she has no shame and can do whatever she puts her mind to. The confidence and drive she possesses is astonishing. No person or obstacle can bring her down or stand in her way.
8. Love is laughing at my jokes when they aren't funny.
She is definitely the wittier of the two of us, and she has mercy on me when it comes to humor. (To be fair, I have a giant card taped to my wall that she made me which says "my big rocks" with pictures of rocks scattered all over it.)
9. Being sassy is a lifestyle.
If there was an award for the sassiest human being alive, she would win by a landslide. Nothing is comparable... Literally no one is on her level of sass.
10. I'll never be alone.
When I feel like the world is against me, I know she will always be by my side.
So Little, thank you for the laughs. Thank you for the ice cream, Mexican food and Blizzards. Thank you for always being on my team. Thank you for letting me vent about the same thing 50 times. Thank you for being my best friend, my sister and my own personal cheerleader. Thank you for making me feel loved when I feel like no one else does.
Most of all, thank you for teaching me more than you could ever imagine.
