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 outings. 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.

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. Thank you for understanding my moods that fluctuate more than anything. You always understand when I just need to flop down on my bed and have a good cry, and you 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 sadness or anger, and still you would be there to listen whenever I was ready to talk about it.

Thank you for driving my extremely unappreciative self and my equally unappreciative friends everywhere and not noticeably rolling your eyes when we talked about all the latest gossip. As for all the late night drives we went on, whether it was in search of food or just to drive well, thanks for showing me better music than the shit that I listened to. Thank you for picking me up late at night after I got back from practice.

Thank you for sticking by my side through all those family events; all the weddings, dinners, trips, Thanksgivings, Christmases and vacations. Together we made more memories 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 essays, enduring my never ending rants about how unfair this class or that teacher was, for keeping me smiling, 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 have and for always keeping me humble, centered and laughing. Thank you for being my best friend for life even if you don’t really have a choice in the matter because we’re in this together.