Older siblings: The only people who will pick on you for their own entertainment, and beat up anyone else who tries.
I've had a few jobs in my life, but my favorite one has been being an older sister. There are plenty of articles out there detailing the pains of being a younger sibling, but there's nothing quite like being the older one. The day my sister was born was the day I began to understand what being a caregiver is. I never was jealous of my siblings for taking up my parent's time, because I was right there with them, taking care of them. I changed diapers, helped feed them, and helped put them to bed. In many ways, I took care of them much like a parent would.
Being the older sister meant having to "be the bigger person" whenever I wanted to give them a piece of my mind. It meant being the adult, instead of the kid, and leading by example. Doing otherwise meant I was immature. Older siblings catch a lot of flack for bossing their younger siblings around or being annoying in general, but we handle much more than they realize. We are typically the first ones to know if anything happens, which means we are the front-line. We may be bossy, but if anyone else tries to pick on you, nothing will stand in our way. We understand, because we've actually been there. In situations where many people would have broken down, I had to stand strong so my brother and sister had someone holding it together.
Being their sister has given me the strongest relationship I could ever want. Our bond is stronger than any outside force, and we always have someone to lean on. It means late night pillow talks, awkward phone conversations, and insane laughter. It means calling each other for no reason other than to sit in silence or talk for hours about nothing. One minute I'll be talking to my brother about Harry Potter, and the next I'll be talking to my sister about the newest music we're listening to. It's keeping that balance between letting out my inner child but still looking out for them. Basically, it means having a free therapist and the greatest confidante you could ask for.
It means being there for them through thick and thin. There were many times I had to stand up for them even when it was difficult, whether it was to my parents or someone else. If anything, you quickly learn the difference between right and wrong. Sometimes, this comes across as bossiness. The thing was, most of the time, me telling my brother and sister what to do stemmed from not wanting them to get into trouble. The times they didn't listen to me were typically the times they did, in fact, get into trouble.
Being the older sister means loving and supporting them no matter who or what they choose to be or do. It means celebrating individuality and being proud of the fact that they are a part of your family. Maybe we older siblings occasionally take advantage of the fact that we can tell you what to do, but know this: We are your greatest champions. When you fall down, we will always pick you back up -- right after we finish laughing.
