This past Thursday and Friday I worked at a Basketball ProCamp put on by the Charlotte Hornets point guard, Kemba Walker. There were kids that ranged from five years old to fifteen years old. As I looked around I noticed how much these kids just adored Mr. Walker. He had their complete and utter attention. I watched throughout the day and realized how much they respected him. They wanted to impress him and show him how good they were. Get Kemba to really notice them. It really made me think about how much children look up to their elders. Then it made me think of my little sister Shelby.
I never realized how much my sister looked up to me until recently. My sister and I are thirteen years apart. Obviously, it’s a big gap so I never even considered that she watches me and pays attention to every little thing I do. My mom had always told me but I always brushed it off. It wasn’t until I worked this camp that I realized how much she looks up to me. I know everyone that has little siblings thinks they are annoying but just hear me out.
Yes, my sister drives me crazy at times. Okay, it’s most of the time but I find it really amazing that someone looks up to me. I would’ve never guessed that someone could actually look up to me. That honestly blows my mind but it also scares me. It makes me feel like I have a job to do. Almost like I have to do everything in my power to make sure that my sister never stops believing in me and forever will be my biggest fan. It’s a tough job to handle.
So this is my promise to you Shelby. I promise to always give 100% because even if I don’t succeed you and I will never be able to say that I didn’t try my best. I promise to never stop believing in you. Even if you do look up to me for the rest of your life I hope you find yourself and whatever you do in life I’m going to be your number one fan. I want you to be nothing but successful and always know that you are supported. Whenever you are scared to go to mom and dad, always remember I’m one call away. I was there once and I wish I had an older sibling to tell me what to do, so I will always be there for you. Even though we are far apart, know that I will always be your first friend. I promise to you that even when you are annoying the crap out of me and I tell you to go away, I still love you so much. I just hope that when you’re older you still want to hangout with me as much as you do now. I promise you that when you have your first heartbreak I’ll be the first to say you deserve better and show up at mom and dad’s door with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. When you go shopping for your first dance, I want to be there so mom doesn’t make you try on the big poofy one. Trust me, she’ll try her hardest. I could think of million other things but when it comes down to it all I’m trying to say is, I promise to try to be the best big sister I can be.
Although you are giving me a big responsibility by being the person you look up to, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I pray that I never let you down and always work hard to be the best role model for you. Being a big sister is one of the greatest gifts and I will forever be thankful for that.
