When I first joined a sorority, I was looking very forward to getting a Big. I had heard from other girls that your Big becomes your best friend, but little did I know that my Big would become just like an actual sister.
The relationship between my Big and I is the kind that people are jealous of. We go together like peanut butter and jelly. It has gotten to the point where, in chapter meetings, people will ask me where my Big is and vice versa. We walk back and forth from every function, and I won’t go to anything without her. She is the big sister I never had. After we established that we were almost as close as real life siblings, we decided that it was time to meet each other’s real families.
This was extremely nerve-racking. I started asking myself questions. What if my mom doesn’t like her? What if my dad doesn’t approve? Will my actual younger sister see her as a big sister figure? My family is a tough crowd to impress, and I could only hope that they thought my Big was as amazing as I made her out to be. More importantly, I thought, what if her family doesn’t like me? What if they want her to disown me as her Little?
The time had finally come. My Big and her family made a visit to my hometown, and our families got together for dinner. My palms were sweating and I couldn’t stop fidgeting. As we all sat down at the table, I realized that it was actually going well!
By the end of dinner, my Big and my mom had exchanged phone numbers and made plans to hang out over spring break. (I’m still not sure if I’m invited.) My Big’s mom felt like a second mother to me, and I felt as though I could contact her for anything. My younger sister looked up to my Big and saw her as a role model. Keep in mind that this was the first time we had all met! Her family stayed for a few more days, and we grew closer and closer every day. Our separate families were beginning to merge into one. By the time they had to leave, we had already made plans to come together again.
I would never have guessed that, once the curtain dropped on "Big/Little Reveal," I would gain a new family member. She and I are practically inseparable, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. When she graduates, I am going to be utterly distraught. What am I going to do without her, my big sister?
I can only hope that everyone who is looking for a Big or a Little has the pleasure of finding something more than just a person to take cute Big-and-Little photos with. While going through recruitment, what I truly wanted was a “home away from home,” and thanks to my perfect Big I have found just that. I can only hope that my future Little will look up to me as much as I look up to my Big. I can’t thank you enough, Kim. I’m so blessed to have found a Big, or older sister, like you.
