My entire life I have grown up living in my older sister’s shadow. I have followed her footsteps from elementary school all the way to college. When I was a little girl I always tried to dress like her. When I was in middle school I was on the same soccer team she had been on. When I was in high school I took all the same classes and was the president of the same clubs. Every time I go shopping we end up buying the same clothes.
After I graduated from high school I even followed my sister to college, and attended her school. I moved to New York after she did. And now, we work for the same company and she is my boss. Not only have we grown up doing basically the same things, but we also have a twin like resemblance to each other. Arguably, the only clear difference is our 5-inch height difference.
For years, I never quite understood her world. She moved to New York City and was leading over 50 people at a startup company. I knew she worked crazy hard, and was insanely smart, however I never understood to what extent. I thought I knew my sister well enough to understand her daily life. I couldn’t be more wrong. After day one of watching her on the job, my view completely changed. She is a rock star. She stays completely composed even though I know she is freaking out on the inside. She is an amazing boss, and puts her heart and soul into everything she does. I had never seen her in action, and had only heard empty words on what she actually does. Now I realize what a true leader she has grown to become.
Our five-year age difference has not limited us in any ways. Best friends. Sisters. She is with me till the end. And every time I hear, “You look just like Kate,” or “You're just like your sister,” I smile because it’s the best compliment I can get.
I used to just do everything she did; now I realize I can’t follow in her footsteps any longer. She has grown above and beyond anything I could imagine. She is a catalyst for those who surround her. She is an inspiration to me and has changed her life and the way she lives to help grow this unbelievable company. She is what I hope to be like when I am older and I cannot wait to see the amazing things she does in her life. What started out as just a noticeable fact has turned into the best compliment I could receive. I cannot wait to go to work with her every day, meeting new people and hearing, “You are just like Kate”. Knowing that even if genes are all we share, I have the potential to be like her in a couple of years, and be the powerful women that she is to this day.
