There are few times where I feel like I’m a bit at a loss for words, especially being a journalism major and someone who’s grown up being told that I have a tendency to be a bit “wordy." However, I am unsure how to express how much my older sister means to me, especially after having grown up with her for 18 years and creating so many memories that I will never forget.

Despite the fact that I might not show it consistently, I’m thankful for you. I’m thankful that I’ve had someone to watch as I’m learning my way through life. I’m thankful that you’ve been someone that I can say stupid things to and the most you’ll do is roll your eyes.

Heck, I’m even thankful we make the same stupid faces. But, I’m thankful that you’re my sister.

Whether it’s the car rides when we’re listening to country music, or the times we laugh so hard I cry, I’m just thankful being around you and I'm thankful that you’re my sister. You’ve always been someone who’s so indecisive that you feel it (sorry), but through those indecisions it’s not that you don’t know, it’s that this choice means too much to you for it to be rushed or made without thought.

When looking back to the past 18 years that I’ve spent having you as a sister, I’m thinking of all the times that we’ve laughed so hard I cried, or the jam sessions in the car - even the ones when we purposefully pass our house to finish the song we’re listening to - or the jokes we’ve shared, the movies we’ve watched, and all of the times that you’ve been my sister.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always loved my family and I wouldn’t change the way I grew up or the people I get to call mine, but I don’t think that it was until I moved to college that I recognized how much my family means to me. When my sister was away at college, I always told my parents, "I don't miss her," because I was so focused on everything around me that I didn't realize how much I missed her.

However, what I did miss were the times we would go to a movie, or watch one in our basement lounging around the house and laughing when we got a hard time from either parent about it, or the times in the car when I would try to blast the music and she wouldn’t let me get the volume past a certain level. Even the times when I would do something she would frown at me for, or the times when we would frown at each other and then burst out laughing, unable to hold the frown on our face, or when we would annoy each other or argue about something stupid - I missed all of that.

I’m so lucky to have had someone in my life who I’ve been able to watch and learn from or learn about how much our indecisiveness is as much a family trait as being late. Through it all, I’m glad that she’s my sister. I’m glad that I get those semi-stupid “joke of the day" Snapchats from you basically every day.

I’m glad that we’re indecisive and it takes us forever to make a simple decision. I’m glad that we’ve been on adventures together. I’m glad (kind of) that I’ve been told that I look a lot like you, even the times when it’s “Hi, Alex’s sister.” Most of all, I’m glad that you’re my sister.

Still, writing this now thinking about some of our laughs, tears, and just the times of being together: you’re someone who’s shown so much love and so many smiles, showing me what life is like in my own way, even putting up with all of my crap.

Being in college now, I’ve learned how important family is now that I don’t get to be around mine every day, I’ve learned that you shouldn't take family for granted, I’ve learned that the love you feel for your family is something so strong and how lucky I am to have a sister like you. So, thank you for being a sister who’s as fantastic as they come. But most of all, thank you for being you.