To my dearest big sis, I'll start by saying that you know how much I love you. As we have gotten older, we've gotten closer. When I was around ten and eleven years old, I looked up to you and thought, "Wow, my sister is old." You were in college, you had a boyfriend; I thought you were so cool. I wanted to grow up and follow in your beautiful, mature, strong footsteps.
As I've grown up, and we've grown closer, I've come to realize that even my big sister's life isn't as perfect and glamorous as I thought ten years ago. I've learned that, like me, you are bruised and scarred; and I've learned that that's okay. The bruises and scars we bear make us who we are and make us stronger people.
We've learned that we can share things with each other and be more open with each other as time has passed and given us new life experiences. Despite our differences, we've learned that we have a lot in common as young adults. We share traits that we've only discovered in the last few years, like our fear of the future, not knowing what direction life will go in even at the age of 29. It's comforting to know by looking at you that I don't need to have everything figured out right now.
I want to thank you for always being there for me; for letting me know that despite our age difference, we're both adults and we don't need the barrier of age to keep us apart; for comforting me in times when no one understood the relationship I had with a family member, for not ridiculing me when I can't do what everyone wants me to do.
Thank you for teaching me that as I get older, there is no age I will reach when I will have all the answers. I'll never have it all figured out, but that's okay because growing up isn't about having the perfect life. It's about learning from experiences and letting them mature you instead of bringing you down. It's about choosing to step forward when an opportunity knocks on your down, even if it means traveling to foreign countries, eating foreign foods, being surrounded by people who know nothing about you. It's about knowing when to walk away from something, and knowing when it's perfectly okay to stay and be happy. Thank you for teaching me to live fearlessly.
