Getting to be an aunt means you get to make an impact on someone's life. I don't take this lightly and neither should you. Anything you say sticks with them, no matter how small you think it may seem. They want to be like you and be around you. Make the effort. Make the effort to spend time with them or even call them on the phone or video chat with them. They will love it, I promise.

Before my niece and nephew were born, I had no idea what it meant to want to care for someone before yourself. I didn't know how much you could love one person, how a such a little human being could take up so much room in your heart.

When I heard that I was going to have a niece or nephew, I had no idea what that role would come to mean. I knew I would be an aunt, and that we'd have a new member of the family. I didn't know if it would be a new little girl or boy, and I really didn't know how they would come to impact my life.

Both the day my niece and my nephew were born, I had no idea what to expect. I thought my reaction would be something along the lines of, "Oh, they're really cute, but I don't know how I exactly fit in here." I realized once I stepped into that hospital room that I was very wrong, and I am so glad I was.

My niece and nephew are the two best things to ever come into my life. I can't imagine what my life would be without their laughter and energy.

Any little amount of time I get to spend with both of them is my favorite. It could be five minutes to a whole day and it all goes by too fast. It doesn't matter what kind of day I'm having because just seeing them makes it all better. As soon as I find out that I'm gonna get to see them, I tell anyone and everyone about it because I'm so excited.

Getting to watch them both grow up is one of the biggest blessings I could ask for. When I found out my sister had gone into labor and that this was actually happening I wasn't sure how to feel. I was both excited and nervous. How could someone be this little and fragile? How was I already filled with so much love for someone who I had just met? I don't know how to explain that, but I hope that everyone gets to have that feeling someday too.

I don't know how almost four years have gone by since I became an aunt. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I have learned so much in those four short years. There's no feeling like walking into a room and having either your niece, your nephew, or if you're lucky enough, BOTH either running or toddling over to you to show that they're happy you're there.

I hope that everyone experiences this feeling. I don't know if there's anything else that compares to it. For me being in college means that I don't get to see them as often as I'd like to. I don't get to be there for every birthday, every little milestone. They change so fast, more than I'd like to admit and every time I see them they've grown a little more, they're able to do something they couldn't before.

If you're given this role, please don't think it's not a big deal. You mean the world to those kids. The excitement and love that you feel when you see them after being apart is by far my favorite experience. Only the truly lucky ones will get to fulfill this role. Don't take it for granted.