When I tell people that I have a sister who is close in age to me and who I have a really good relationship with, I always get a positive reaction. I've always known that you've had a big impact on my life in that way, but talking to my new friends here at college who, for once, know nothing about anyone in our family, has made me even more aware of it. The number of times you've come up in conversation because something reminded me of you or some story having to do with you is higher than I can count. I know I've said before how much I appreciate you, but I really can't stress it enough, and I think your greatness all around deserves to be known.

So, thank you.

Thank you for tolerating me and my weirdness (to put it simply). In some families, if someone acted the way I do around you, their siblings might yell at them to go away and avoid them, whether that person was being intentionally annoying or not. You have seen me in literally every stage of sanity and you usually just laugh or poke fun at me, even when I try and come into your room and screw around just to divert your attention for a minute. And I think that's pretty cool.

Thank you for goofing off with me. I love when I see that you've sent me another meme or when you text me about something happening at home that you knew I'd find funny. Even though I'm here and can't make vine references for everything with you anymore, I know I'll come home and our stupid, shared sense of humor will make all the terrible jokes kick right back in just like they do any time we FaceTime or have a phone call.

Thank you for all those long conversations we have when Mom and Dad aren't around. One of the coolest things about our relationship is how we have interests that are similar enough to relate about, but different enough where we don't step on each others' toes, and it leads to some really great, very animated conversations about life. Having similar social circles and participating in similar activities at school always helped whether we needed to vent our frustrations or we wanted a different perspective on how to handle a situation. You always know exactly what I mean because you've been there- you don't act too cool to associate with me like you could (because let's be honest, you definitely are way cooler than me) and it is the best.

And on a similar note, thank you for always being there during the good, the bad, and the awkward. The advantage of having a sister so close in age to me is that you know me better than almost anyone whether I like it or not, just because you've always been around. That and the way you're not afraid to roast me, as any sibling would be, make it so easy to trust that you'll give me some solid advice every time based on the kind of person you know I am inside. Plus, you can tell when something's up and I know I can trust you to listen and be a shoulder to lean (or cry) on.

Above all, thank you for being you. Someone I was speaking to recently mentioned how they appreciated that you didn't want to follow in my footsteps and that you didn't keep yourself trapped in my shadow, and I totally agree. Seeing you forge your own way, embrace your own interests, and grow into your own person has made me so happy. It's really so nice to see who you're becoming and how you're maturing after knowing about all of the phases of life you've gone through and grown into. (Seriously, people may think you're super great and mature, but Mom, Dad, and I know better than anyone else. I mean, we had to live with you during your emo phase.) Thank you for everything. I love you lots and I can't wait to see how our relationship grows with us over the years.