Before you tell her you love her, I want you to know and understand a few things from her big sister because I was almost 2 years old when she was born and on that day, I met my other half.

She was my first best friend.

My first partner in crime.

My first dance partner.

My first enemy.

My first playmate.

My first everything.

When I was about to start kindergarten, our parents divorced and all of a sudden, we would learn about the differences between “mom’s house” and “dad’s house” because there was no longer an “our house." And at that moment, it became her and I against all life’s future trials. We still had our parents, but it wasn’t the same. It would be her and I traveling back and forth between houses, having to learn about alternating holidays, and learning about jealousy when we went to friend’s houses that did not have divorced parents. And because of that, at a very young age, I grew up much quicker than other kids my age because I knew I needed to take care of my little sister and make sure she would always be okay causing me to become very protective of her.

Now that we’re older, I have watched her grow into a beautiful, inspiring, bull-headed, and incredibly strong young woman. She is so strong willed that I wish you immense luck into trying to change her mind over anything. She will fight you until she’s blue in the face because she does not know how to back down when she believes in something. She is also determined. When she puts her mind to something, she will not give up until she has accomplished the task. You will also quickly learn that she has two very different sides. One side of her likes to do her hair and makeup, dress up and go out with friends while the other side likes to put on a cutoff and muddy boots to go out and work with our dad.

She can also be mean. Wow can she be mean. When she’s mad, she will come off arrogant and like you’re stupid over whatever you’re arguing about. And afterwards she will act like the fight didn’t faze her and she doesn’t care, but she does. And this part here is what I want you to play the closest attention to. Even when she’s mean or acts like she doesn’t care, she does.

My little sister is the sweetest and most loving person you will ever meet if she lets you in. But in the past, her heart has been broken and she has been hurt. She has faced more loss than anyone her age should see and even if she won’t admit it, those experiences took pieces of her that I don’t know if she will ever get back. So in her own way of dealing with it, she acts cold. If she thinks something could hurt her, she will come off cold and mean and act like she doesn’t care at all. But she does. She will care so much that later that night, she will hide away and she will cry until she can’t anymore. And I think I may be part of the blame for that since I do the exact same thing. I think growing up we learned these defense mechanisms because we didn’t want to come off weak or broken. We already had the broken family, why should we be the broken girls too? (Trust me; we know it’s not a great way to cope. We’re working on it.)

So if you find that you do love her, I need you fill you in on few more things then I need you to make a promise to me.

Now that we’ve grown up, she still calls me when she’s upset or texts me if she can’t say the words out loud. So anything stupid you do to hurt her, I will know about it.

She has a beautiful smile and laugh, so make sure you cause them often.

She loves sappy, Nicholas Sparks’s movies and country music.

She spends way too much money at Victoria Secret, on water bottles, gym clothes and on protein.

If you are lucky enough to be given her heart, she will love you more deeply than you have ever been before. Her heart may have been broken in the past, but there still is nothing like being loved by her. She will love you will every part of her being, with everything that she has so please don’t take that for granted.

Now I need you to show her that it’s okay to cry. Show her that she doesn’t have to be mean in order to hide her pain. If she is hurting, hold her and tell her it will be okay because you will be there for her. She will always have me, but someday she will need you when I can’t be there to help her. And one day, you will be the one that is taking care of her, not me. On that day, I hope you realize how lucky you are to have her in your life and great it feels to be loved by her.

I am so proud of her and who she has become through all of life’s hardships and I hope you have the same pride in her as I do. So just wait because she will change your entire world before you even realize it.