“Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend." - Albert Camus
When we were younger, my sister, Olivia, and I had a unique relationship where I was the older, louder, and more rambunctious child, while she was more bashful. I waited three and a half years on this Earth for a sister and was extremely excited to have one, mostly because she was wrapped in a pink blanket and my favorite color was pink. Our relationship mostly consisted of playing with Barbie Dolls, going through stacks of copy paper drawing with hundreds of crayons, driving in my Barbie Jeep Jammer, and me talking for her. All she had to do was point at something and big sis would go get it for her or yell for MOMMMMM. This is when our language started.
Today, my favorite color is still pink, I now drive a real life Barbie Jeep Jammer, Jeep Wrangler, and she is still the thoughtful, reasonable one who keeps me in check. I don’t talk for her anymore — sometimes she talks for me. Even when I’m very flustered or overwhelmed with a situation, Olivia always knows what I need or want, even when I don’t say it. For example, over Christmas Break, we became acquainted with the game Heads Up. After playing a few times with our neighbors, everyone commented on the fact that we barely had to say half a word before we looked at each other and knew what the other was talking about. They were very intense games.
However, being away at school means that I don’t get to see my sister as often as I used to when I permanently lived across the hall from her at home. This means we don’t get to speak our (unspoken) language as much.
And that’s not the only thing I miss. I miss her …
1. Peeling my banana as I drove us to school every morning.
2. Our unintentional outfit matching because we’ve inevitably been buying the same clothes due to our similar taste in fashion.
3. Agreeing that our parents are being crazy.
4. How she does things for me after I say "please" a million times.
5. Adding the white sides to my photos when I didn’t have the app on my phone.
6. Telling me to “stop it” in a sassy tone.
7. Helping me pack my car on my way back to Athens.
8. Laughing at my shamelessly ugly outfit choices when we are in the comfort of our own home.
9. Asking me for advice or just hanging out.
10. Being the coolest, smartest person I know and my best friend.
