To my sister:

First, I want you to know how proud I am of you. I have been lucky enough to watch you grow from a tiny, chubby baby, to a snot-nosed, perpetual motion whirlwind of a toddler, to an awkward, gangly, prepubescent tween, to the beautiful young woman that you are now.

You are amazing in so many ways. You are smart, talented, athletic, musical, beautiful…You are many things that I wish I was and I will admit that I am envious of you at times. You are strong and stubborn; you are gentle and kind. You are doing so well, and I could not be more proud of you.

But as you grow older, things will get harder. I know that sometimes things are difficult now, with school, friends, and our parents. However, I want you to know that even though things will get harder, they will also get better. Better does not always translate into easier. I want you to remember that.

As you continue to grow, you will encounter many challenges. You will have fights with even your closest of friends; you will meet boys; you will find new and different things to love. You are strong and stubborn now, yes, but there will come a time when that is tested. When you encounter a relationship that starts to crumble, respect yourself enough to walk away. Some things are worth fighting for. Others are not. You will learn what things are and what things aren’t worth fighting for. However, a good sign that you should walk away is when you realize that that person, whether they be a friend or a significant other, is when they no longer allow you to continue to grow. As you like to say, in that obnoxious tone of yours, “that is NOT loving yourself.” So love yourself enough to walk away. You will be the better and the stronger for it. I promise.

I can also promise you that I am always here for you. Always. I can promise you that I will always make an ugly face in a Snapchat so that you look better. I can promise you that I will always support you, emotionally, financially, spiritually, to the best of my ability. I can promise that I will do my best to protect you, and although I want to shield you from all of the horrors of the world, I understand that sometimes you must fall flat on your face and shatter. I can promise that I will be there to help make you whole again.

Finally, I want you to know how much I love you. And there will never be anyone who will ever love you more.

Always,

Your older but smaller sister.