I just don’t understand how people make it through life without a sister.
1. She’s your built-in best friend.
Straight from the womb, you are given an incredible blessing: a big sister. Even though you will get in the absolute worst fights, she will always be there to share her Barbie dolls, for shopping dates, to offer advice, and even for the occasional “please pick me up from this bar” call at 2 a.m.
2. Double the wardrobe.
Let’s be real, this is the BEST. Except when you’re stalking your sister on Facebook and realize half the clothes she’s wearing are yours... (but then you remember it’s okay, because you do the exact same thing.)
3. She’s the responsible one.
You can always count on her to remember to buy your parents’ anniversary gift and put both your names on it. Praise for never having to grow up when she’s around.
4. She’s the best spontaneous trip buddy.
You can always convince her a trip is a good idea. Whether it’s a 5-hour drive to help surprise her boyfriend or an impulse decision to fly across the Atlantic Ocean because you stumbled upon cheap airline tickets while procrastinating over important things, she’s your gal.
5. She warmed up your parents.
As the little sister, you can come home past curfew and there’s no price to pay. When everything is compared to her wild phase, your parents know you’re pretty tame when it comes to growing up.
6. She drove you everywhere in high school.
Which ultimately made you the coolest freshman in the whole school. “Oh, you need a ride to the Friday night football game? Don’t worry, my sister can take us.”
7. She won’t tattle tale.
If she sees you doing something Mom and Dad wouldn’t approve of, she keeps her mouth shut because she knows you have just as much dirt on her and opening that can of worms could mean warfare. It’s pretty common knowledge that it’s best just to keep that between the two of you.
8. You can be absolutely honest.
You can bluntly say, “You’re really annoying me, shut up,” and slam your door in her face, but 15 minutes later you’ll emerge, ask if she wants donuts, and you both pretend like nothing happened.
9. She’s your first real fangirl.
In life, your dreams, school, sports, literally anything you do -- she will be there cheering you on in full force. First fangirl for LIFE.
10. You learn from her mistakes.
You get to see first hand what happens when things go wrong, so you know not to make the same mistakes (or learn how to not get caught making them).
11. She’s your #1 guru.
You know you can always ask her for advice because she will tell you honestly what she thinks. It’s also nice to know there’s no ulterior motives. She shares your blood -- she wants what’s best.
12. She’s always a backup plan.
Not to say that she’s second best, but if you need a date to formal because you’re single and don’t feel like dealing with boys, or if your Valentine’s Day plans fell through, she’s got your back, no questions asked.
13. She’s someone to grow old with.
You two promise each other that if for some reason you end up single, you’ll buy a house, adopt a bunch of babies and raise some bada** children together.
To my big sister: Thank you for letting me grow with you. Thank you for loving Taylor Swift, eating Goldfish and traveling as much as I do. Thank you for always being front row at my shows, for cheering me on and believing in my dreams sometimes more than I do. Thank you for challenging me to become my best self, for loving me at times when I couldn’t find a reason to love myself, for holding on and fighting battles so you could watch me graduate high school. Thanks for texting me things you wish you could tweet, for always calling me at absurd hours of the night (or morning) to come pick you up, for warning me when Mom and Dad are in a mood swing, and for being my church buddy every Sunday. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. xo.
