Everyone knows that their big is the best. It doesn't matter which sorority girl you ask, we will argue that our big is the best until we're six feet under. We get them not long after we sign the most highly noted bid with our forever home, and they are with us until the end of time. They are the first person we run to when something goes horribly wrong, and when everything goes according to plan. They are your mentor and best friend.

They are there to bring you wine when you're feeling upset. She looks at you and tells you when you're being an idiot (and if you're anything like me, it happens more than you think). She's your anchor when you believe that your ship has begun to drift. She's the first person you tell when anything happens, from getting your little to secretly telling them about your lavaliere the day it happens. Your big is your soul mate.

But, what happens when your big is taken away from you by the recruitment world?

Take it from me; it's not fun at all. It's like when your best friend goes on vacation and you don't know what to do with yourself until they are back. You're an incomplete peanut butter and jelly sandwich because you only have the jelly. You completely lose a part of yourself.

Knowing that when you pass your big by on campus, that you can't make eye contact or speak is so heartbreaking. You cannot speak to one of the few people who helps make all of your decisions. You want to scream and yell, but you can't. You dream of the day when they are allowed to speak to you, again. You write the most perfect letter to make sure she definitely cries. You spend hours crafting a sign or three (sometimes four) to welcome her back in candlelight. It's like big/little reveal all over again for you and your big.

However, knowing that your big is helping many young women find their homes in the Panhellenic world does make it a little easier. When I went through I would have never made it through without my gamma chi. The gamma chi's are such an important part of recruitment. They help these girls through some of the hardest decisions that they make in a short time. So the price us littles pay is always completely worth it.

So, if you're one of the few women who lose your big to the recruitment world start saving up your stories, finding waterproof make up (tears are inevitable), writing multiple letters, and pinning ideas for cute welcome home signs.