Before you, I was an only child struggling to understand the cool slang my friends had learned from their older siblings. I always wished that I had an older sibling to guide me through my awkward years (or at least make them a little less painful). I want to be that person for you.

I’m not going to lie… things get tough. There will be days where you’ll want to hide in a hole and never come out. You’ll fight with your friends but trust me, it’s not worth it.

Life is too short to be worried about the little things. You only have so much time to be young and not have to worry about your future.

Enjoy being able to come home from school and spend hours outside on the playground, or the late nights cuddling with mom on the couch. Because one day you’ll be away at college studying your life away wishing that you could just rewind the clock to a simpler time: a time where your biggest concern was what you were going to wear the next day.

I wish I could be there for you during this pivotal period in your life. The times where girls are mean and boys are starting to not have cooties anymore. When homework becomes hard and teachers become strict.

Although physically I am unable to be there, just know that I am only a Facetime away. No matter the question or problem, I will always be there to give you the best advice or embarrassing story from when I went through the same thing years ago.

So, hug mom a little tighter, pay extra attention to the dogs, and don’t stress the small stuff.

We may fight, but in the end, you are my sister and I will always have your back even if we are hundreds of miles apart.