Sometimes in life, you learn the most from the people right in front of you. You may not realize it as it is happening, but as you look back you realize how big of an impact they have had on your life. For me, that is my sister Jen. Jen and I are two years apart in age but I feel like we are much closer than other siblings that I know. She has been there for me for so long, partly because she has to, but I like to think that it’s mostly because she loves me. She has helped me out of my comfort zone so many times and she knows exactly what to do to make me smile when all I want to do is cry. I truly believe that having a younger sister is one of the biggest blessings that I have. Here are eight things that I have learned over the years from my younger sister.
1. Be kind even when you don't want to.
My sister is one of the most genuinely kind people that I know. She will go out of her way to help people and does this very often. She is very patient and more than willing to help other people when they need it.
2. Work hard for what you want.
It will feel so much better when you get it. Jen has never been OK with being average. From school to sports she is always striving for success. If she doesn’t reach it she is always upset, but I have noticed that it only drives her to work harder. She works extremely hard for her grades because she knows what she wants and she won’t stop until she gets it. She also puts 120 percent into every sport's practice and game that she participates in as well as putting in extra practice outside of team practices. She knows that everything will be worth it in the end.
3. Be humble.
When my sister does achieve success, she is not usually one to brag about it. I usually do the bragging for her. She has always been a very humble person which I have always respected about her.
4. There's always a little bit of love for everyone.
Right after Jen and her friends donated their hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths.
My sister is always showing me that, no matter the person, there is always a little bit of love in your heart for them. She is always helping others whether she knows them or not.
5. It's OK to disagree.
You might not agree on everything but you can still compromise. The two of us have had our fair share of disagreements but we can usually come to a compromise. We don’t have to agree on everything in order to get along.
6. Be weird.
Be you, be weird. Jen is not afraid to be herself. This is something that I tend to struggle with but she does without even thinking about it. She is 100 percent herself at all times and does not care what other people think, or at least she doesn't show it if she cares.
7. Smile every day.
Jen is known for always smiling. Her teachers, coaches and friends are always saying that she is always smiling even when you don’t expect her to. The other day in one of her softball games she was even running the bases with a huge smile on her face. She has shown me that although it might be hard to find, even on your worst day there is something to smile about.
8. Sometimes your best friend is your family.
Jen is my best friend. She can help me be more serious when I need to be but she can also help me relax in some of the most stressful situations. She has been my rock and I would not be who I am today without her. She encourages me to try harder on everything I do but she can also help me relax when I overwork myself or stress myself out too much. She makes me an all-around better person. She is always there for me no matter what.
My sister may be two years younger than me, but over the last 17 years, I have been able to watch her grow into the young woman that she is today and I could not be more proud of her. She has taught me so much about life that I would never have learned to the same extent without her. She has always been someone that I love but I have grown to respect her more and more throughout the years as she has grown. If you look around you, I bet that you will find that your "Jen" has been there all along.
Thanks for being you, Jen, but you'll still always be 12 to me.
