Dear Alyssa and Jessie,
Thank you for being the people who never fail to make me smile. I have made more inside jokes with you two in five minutes then I have made with some people in my lifetime. You both posses personalities of such beauty, compassion, and weirdness all at once. It is admirable to watch you both work so hard for what you believe in, no matter how many times someone has told you no. Please never let anyone tell you you cant do it. Please always chase you dreams.
Because you can do it.
You have the power to change the world. You certainly have changed mine. No matter how speculative my younger self was of your arrivals there is no greater blessing in my life than having you two as my younger sisters. You both have given me the ability to always be myself, as well as pushed me to always believe in myself. I hope you know how thankful I am for the random jam session car rides, the endless Grey’s Anatomy binge watching sprees, the random gymnastics lessons in the yard, the bad singing in the family room, and even the nights where you just let me cry to you.
Please know that you can always be open with me.
Let me hold you when you feel like your walls are caving in, and the only thing you want to do is cry. Let me pick you back up and make you laugh until your stomach hurts. You see, we cannot control the series of events that occur in our lives. Life is going to get hard. I hope life gets hard for you, not to be the mean older sister, but to push you.
I want to push you to believe there is always a way, because there is always going to be a solution. You just have to go out and find it. It is not going to be easy. It is going to take more hard work and courage than you are ready for. You can do it. You will do it.
Because you wont do it alone.
I will be here every step of the way just like you two have been for me. I will be here when you fail your first test, when you fall in love for the first time, when you get your heartbroken for the first time, when you gain new friends and loose old ones, and when you get accepted into the college of your dreams. No matter the milestone, I will be there. I want to be there.
I have so much hope for you both. I hope you chase your dreams and never look back. I hope you look forward to the future, but never forget your past. After all, your past is what has built you to become the person you are today. I hope you experience love to a maximum. I also hope you get your heart broken. I hope you make friends to last a lifetime. I hope you push yourself to always be a better version than you were the day before. I hope you live every day with an optimistic mind. I hope you love. And I hope you cherish.
The years will keep flying by. After all, they already have.
Just look where we are now. I am 500 miles from home, working toward my college degree, and you are both about to embark on your high school journey. Next thing you know one of us will be walking down the isle, or watching the other one's child. Time flies so lets make every moment of it count. Our bond has already grown, and I hope it never stops growing. No matter the amount of arguments we may have gotten in, or will get in, my love for you will always keep growing. I love you little ones more than anything in the world. Thank you for being the best younger sisters an older sister could ask for.
With much Love,
Rachel
