I don’t know what being the oldest sibling feels like, but I know you have done a wonderful job with me as the annoying younger sister. There are multiple things I want to thank you for, and I hope this letter gets my point across. Here are just a few, of the very many, things I want to tell you and thank you for.
Thank you for being my role model.
You have no idea how much I look up to you. Going through school, I wanted to be just like you and have the successes you achieved. You are such a bright student and were always so involved throughout the school. I wanted to live up to your reputation and not disappoint you. You are such a great person and your compassion and thoughtfulness truly amaze me. I have always, and will always, look up to you and the things you do.
Thank you for not ignoring me at school.
Most older siblings think that their younger ones are annoying and therefore tend to ignore them in public. But you are not like most. You would go out of your way to say hi to me in the hallways and make sure I was alright. You have no idea how much I appreciated that. As a freshman, it was scary going into high school, but having you there to greet me made it much less petrifying. It actually made me feel more comfortable and kinda cool as a freshman. Again, I appreciated those simple gestures more than you even know.
Thank you for being completely honest with me.
I know I can always come to you with something and you will give me your complete and honest opinion. If my outfit looks bad, you’ll tell me. If my hair looks weird, you’ll tell me. If I need you to proofread a blog post, you will give me your opinion and pull no punches. Your honesty, no matter how brutal, made me who I am today. I still know I can always come to you to get an unbiased view.
Thank you for making me tough.
As an older brother, I think it is part of your job description to make me tough. Through the horsing around and roughhousing, you made me stronger and tougher. This is merely because I wanted to beat you, which was rare, but still I tried my hardest. Every time I fell down, you made sure I brushed it off and got back up, even if my scraped knee was bleeding profusely.
Thank you for being my partner in crime.
Growing up with you was always interesting. If I had some crazy idea, I know you would join me in the wild endeavor. You helped me make some great memories as a child. Whether it was making secret forts in the basement, casually cheating in "spoons," or wreaking havoc in hotels, you were by my side. Those memories will carry with me through adulthood, and hopefully, my children will do those same adventurous things.
Thank you for being over-protective.
You always seem to make sure I am okay or seeing the right people. Although, when I was much more naïve, I was a little annoyed by you always checking in on me and wondering who I was hanging out with. Now, as a college student, I understand completely why you did. You cared about my safety and about the people I associated myself with to make sure I was truly happy with my life. You made sure I was doing what I wanted to do. I cannot thank you enough for truly being the “big brother” that watches over me.
Even though we didn’t have a “perfect” relationship and liked to fight over the littlest things (especially the TV channel or radio station in the car), I wouldn’t have traded you as an older brother for anyone. You are truly my best friend and I'm incredible grateful that God gave me a brother like you. We have been through so much together (the ups and the downs), and I am so lucky that you were by my side through it all. I cannot express how appreciative I am of all the things you have done for me. I am completely blessed to call you my older brother. You really have helped shaped me into the young woman I am today. I love you. Thanks bro, you rock.
