Family is a very important part of anyone’s life. Your parents, your siblings, and your extended family in some cases become huge influences on your personality. But one thing I never realized until my family moved from North Carolina to Connecticut, with my older sister still living in NC, is that my sister played a much more important role in my life than I would’ve ever known had we not driven ten or so hours up the East coast. I hate to be cheesy, but all of us need to realize our sisters, or our siblings in general, will always be the most loyal friends one could ever ask for. So, here are eight things that I have come to realize about my sister:
She knows much more about you than you think she does.
I grew up thinking my sister and I were completely different, and in some respects we are, but I have grown to realize that she knows more than she lets on. Whether it be her experiences with friends, significant others, or enemies, she would see me almost every single day, and I know she paid more attention than I once thought. So don’t think your sister doesn’t understand, because odds are that she notices more than you know.
She will stand by your side, even when you’re wrong.
I can remember a few times I would have friend issues when I was pretty young, and my sister was always the one to say screw ‘em. Looking back now, I realize that I was probably wrong in some of those endeavors, like everyone sometimes is, but no matter what she would tell me what I needed to accept, and what was best for me. I’m not sure if she always agreed with what I saw as wrong, but she was nonetheless always there.
She can be the most rational person to talk to.
Times when all of your friends are biased, your own rationale is faulty, and your emotions are running high, your sister is the best person to talk to. She can give you a more objective point of view on issues that you can’t always see.
She is your biggest supporter.
When I started writing for the Odyssey, my sister gave me some of the best praise I could ask for. Parents or friends can sometimes be critical, but your sister always seems to be the one to tell you what you really need to hear to feel good about what you’re doing.
She won’t give you total crap.
My sister, even though supportive, rational, and loyal, won’t sugar coat anything. If I am being stupid and need to hear it, she would tell me, if I was making poor choices, she would tell me. She wouldn’t demand my agreement though, she just told me how it was which is sometimes hard to find.
She can keep your secrets.
Of course some of the time your sister can keep your secrets so well is because of the fact that she has no one to tell them to, but I know that if I asked my sister not to say something, to my parents or anyone else, she wouldn’t, and I would do the same for her. That is something that is hard to find in friends sometimes.
She actually wants to cheer you up, and does it well.
Sometimes when my sister and I would ride silent in the car because I was having a bad day or just not feeling up for talking, my sister would be the one person to get me to laugh. She would blast her music and sing along to it and no matter what mood I was in it made me laugh at her attempt at high notes, or her goofy serenades. Your sister, whether you know it or not, notices these moods, and she is the one person who won’t see it as a chore to make you feel better. Her just being her is sometimes enough, other times you may need some coaxing, but she will be there to make you laugh, no matter what.
She doesn’t expect anything in return.
Your sister does not cheer you up, keep your secrets, or any other myriad of things, for personal gain. Friends are much like this, but we all know that your sister or just your siblings in general, is just a different kind of respect and mutualism that can’t really be broken.
In the end, your sister will be there, and I know for many of us in college it is hard to be far away from them, but they aren’t going anywhere. I hope my sister knows that I appreciate all of the big and little things she did, because my life would not be complete without my opinionated, brutally honest, caring, silly and reliable sister.
