I'm a big sister. I have been a big sister for all but the first three and a half years of my life, which I mostly don't remember anyway—so, like many others, I've basically been the older of two my entire existence. Along the way, I've figured out that a lot of being that big sister is pretty universal:
1. All your clothes are new.
Unless you have lots of older cousins, you don’t get hand-me-downs. Even if you shop at thrift stores, it feels new to the fam—and
your sister hasn't already worn all the coolness out of every item.2. Once you hit a certain age, you're relatively the same size and have similar taste in a lot of things, especially clothing.
Somehow, your wardrobe kind of conglomerates into a single entity. It's a blessing and a curse.
3. You give your little sister things you don't want anymore, then get pissed when you see her wearing them and want them back.
This is probably the perfect example of everything it means to be a big sister: you want to be generous and loving and share. Then forgetfulness, a deep, sublimated desire for ultimate power, and the insane cuteness of that sweater combine and turn you into a crazy person.
4. She steals all your favorite stuff.
And you steal her stuff back in revenge.
5. As long as nobody breaks the cardinal rule: whoever it really belongs to gets to wear it first.
Break it, and you don't care if she's blood: she's now number one on your shit list.
6. There's always someone to blame...but it can definitely be a two-way street.
You're not exactly proud you've occasionally resorted to this, but it's the nature of sibling warfare. And it's not like she hasn't done it, so...
7. You have a larger pool of friends.
Her friends are your friends, and vice versa. But you're totally the cool one when you hang out with her friends, so you know. Being the oldest automatically makes you more awesome.
8. There have been several times when you've felt like the captain of a secret spy alliance.
You hear Mom roll into the driveway, and you go into crisis mode: suddenly you're coordinating who's throwing laundry into the washer, who's filling up the dishwasher, and how you're going to pretend you've been doing what you were supposed to all along.
9. You know that the whole "protective big brother thing" pales in comparison to what it means to be a big sister.
Just existing in this world as a girl can be tough, especially as a teenager, and nobody understands that better than you. We girls know that we have to stick together to make it out alive, and it's your job to make sure nobody messes with her along the way, because if they do...
10. A part of you feels like you already know what it's like to be a mom.
This is a complicated one, but it's mainly because of two things: being the oldest makes you feel like you're at least partly in charge, and also because you end up being the one she actually listens to and goes to for advice (sorry, Mom).
11. You find her teaching you things, making you feel perplexed.
Shouldn't it be the other way around?
