I never thought of myself as an overprotective person, that is, until my sister starting dating her first “boyfriend” a week ago. Since then I’ve gone through the whole spectrum of emotions in dealing with something I didn’t think I’d have a problem with. My brother always told me he’d kill anyone I would date, but I would laugh and shake it off: he’s supposed to say that, I thought. But I didn’t understand the truth in that statement until my sister entered the dating pool. Now, obviously I would never actually kill you, but I will not be a happy cookie to deal with when it comes to her “boyfriend.”

Here are a few of her big sister’s rules:

Don’t hurt her. And by don’t hurt her, I mean, don’t hurt her or I’ll hurt you. She’s my little sister and I’m here to protect her. So if you hurt her, I’ll just have no option but to do the same to you. Oh, and there’s my brother, my 18 other cousins, and my very scary dog.

Don’t pressure her. If she says no, she means no. If she says nothing, she means no. If she says yes, I say no.

Don’t block her off. The number one worst thing in the world is when a girl drops off the face of the earth for a boy. I talk to my sister everyday, and if that changes, I’m blaming you, because I was the first person that took her out to lunch and the first person she told all her secrets to, before you came along.

Don’t change her. She is perfect just the way she is, and if you can’t see that, then you have no right in her life.

And last but not least, understand that you aren’t the most important person in her life. And neither am I, God is. Pray with her, go to church with her, and respect her. Be a Christ-like figure in her life, and don’t betray her. Because she’s a child of God, so treat her like one.