You would think our age gap would stop us from being close, but I don't think it really even had an effect on us. Even when you were teenager who was too cool to hang out with her baby sister, you never seemed to mind me following you around like a puppy. There were times when I was too young to relate to your problems, or I didn't really understand what love was, but that never stopped you from coming to me. It doesn't matter what kind of mood I'm in, or if we're fighting because at the end of the day, you're still my big sister. And I want to say thank you for that.

Thank you for always being there for me. When my heart was broken, you somehow knew all the right words to say. You made my heart feel whole again and made me feel like I was somehow going to be okay (you were totally right when you said I would get over it, btw). When I'm mad at our dad, you always know how to calm me down and make me see things from a different view other than my own. Or even when I'm having a bad day, you're always just a phone call away, no matter how busy you are with your own life.

Thank you for teaching me. Without you teaching me the puppy dog eyes, I'm pretty sure dad would have sent me to boarding school when I was a teen. But, you taught me so much more then that. You taught me how love, how to cuss, how to kiss, and how to tell off our brother when he was mean to me. You have taught me so much and you continue to teach me every single day.

Thank you for leading me by example. You have been such a big role model to me my whole life. You have always worked so hard and that has inspired me since I was little. Whether it was working, going to school, or being a single mom to two awesome kids. You have always shown me how well you can do something and you always make it look like it's a breeze. It's been so easy to look up to someone so amazing.

And lastly, thank you for being so easy to love. We get mad at each other and fight, but I still love you no matter what. When push comes to shove, I know you'll be behind me saving my butt, even when I don't deserve it. You have helped shape me into who I am today and I know I wouldn't be the same without you. I'm so lucky to have a big sister like you!