Having an older sister can sometimes be a blessing and a curse. There are days when you think she is the most awesome person on this entire planet, and other days when she makes you want to scream (probably because she won’t let you wear a piece of her clothing that you’ve already planned the rest of your outfit on), but that doesn’t mean you love her any less.

Now that you are older, you look back and realize the moments you took for granted with her. You remind yourself just how amazing your sister was and continues to be, and you cannot help but be thankful she is still in your life. Like when you were growing up, you took that short walk down the hallway to her room for granted, the sleepovers with each other when you would laugh and giggle about the silliest things for hours on a school night, and the rare occasion when she would let you wear a brand new shirt that she just bought with her own money. Now those are only a few examples, but sometimes those can mean the most.

Your relationship will change as you both get older, but you still know that the bond you share with each other is one of the most important connections you will ever have in your life. There will be days when you still cannot stand her, but you will always be grateful that she is your sister.

Older sisters are like the second mother you thought you never wanted, but she’s there regardless (and does a dang good job at playing both roles when needed). Sometimes we forget that although being the oldest child is great, there are a lot of tough parts that come along with it too.

Because your older sister was born first (lucky her!), she was in the spotlight the majority of the time… especially when she did something wrong. She was the one who got grounded for getting a bad grade on a report card, but if you got the same grade, you were just told to “try harder next time.” If she stayed out past curfew, your mom would throw a search party and call every police officer in the tri-state area, but you would sneak in the door without the slightest reprimand. She was pressured into majoring in a “practical” major, but you could have majored in knitting, and it would have been okay. She always took the heat off of you, even if that meant she was the one who would get in more trouble. And her advice is endless. Whether it was dealing with your enemies, who you were dating, or what outfit you should wear— she always knew exactly what to say.

Sometimes we forget to say thank you. Thank you for being a role model, not just any role model though. Thank you for being the role model that taught me the value of integrity, self-confidence, and determination. Thank you for helping me grow up. Thank you for explaining things to me, sneaking me into R-rated movies with you, and for even teaching me how to use a tampon. Thank you for helping me transition into the woman I am without ever holding me back. Thank you for helping me plan for my future. I wouldn’t have known how to study for the ACT without you. And math class? I definitely could not have passed without your patience and your desire to help me understand in order to get a good grade. Thank you for setting the standard and for being a great example of how we were raised. I am pretty sure I only passed a few classes in school because my teachers loved you when they had you as a student. Thank you for covering for me when I needed somebody. I cannot imagine how hard certain situations would have been if I was on my own. Thank you for learning things the hard way so I didn’t have to. You always have the best clothes, and I am so thankful when you leave your “donate” pile outside of your door for a few extra days just so I can look through it. You have introduced me to the things that I love, and I cannot thank you enough for creating a bigger world for me. Thank you for giving me rides to and from places, even when you had other plans. Thank you for trusting me with your car when it was finally my turn to learn how to drive, and I appreciate the fact that you deal with my road rage and lead foot now that I do have my license. You have always got my back even when I am extremely irrational and let my anger show, so thank you. You constantly bring me back home and remind me that no matter where I go, I should never forget where I came from. Thank you for including my name on birthday gifts that you bought for our family members, because you knew I accidentally forgot. You have always come to my rescue, no matter what time of the day it is or how far away I am from you.

I know I just said thank you, almost 15 times in a row, but it is only because I feel like I just don’t tell you enough. So just remember that no matter where life takes us or how many miles we live apart, I love you. And now for the 16th time, thank you for being the greatest gift I have ever received. I know you did not have much of a choice, but you chose and choose to be the best big sister you can possibly be, and I will never be able to thank you enough.