In a sorority, one of the most sacred relationships is that between a Big and a Little. When a new member joins, an existing member becomes her "Big Sister" and welcomes her Little into her own sorority family. This mentorship program is designed to help new sisters become more easily acclimated, especially if it's a large sorority. It can get a bit complicated depending on how many family members there are. I still don't think my parents understand the meaning of a sorority "aunt" or "cousin," or even understand what the sorority family stack represents.
The Big/Little relationship should not be understated, and it is truly one of the best things about a sorority. However, there is a member of the family who is just as important, and that is the "G-Big," or "Grand-Big." She is the person that holds the whole family tree together. She is the matriarch, the oldest and wisest member of the family.
A few months after joining my sorority, I ran into an older friend who was in a different sorority on campus. She asked how I was liking my sorority since I had just joined my sorority family. I told her that I loved my Big and I then made a comment about how I also got along really well with my G-Big. To this, my friend replied, "That is awesome. The G-Big is the person who holds the whole family together, so if you don't have a good one then your sorority experience won't be as fun. Lots of people have amazing Bigs, but their whole family isn't close because the G-Big connection is missing." Talk about words of wisdom.
Luckily, I happen to have an awesome G-Big, who now happens to also be a Great Grand-Big. She is the person who checks in on every member of the family to make sure they are doing okay, always has extra of everything in case someone forgot, and acts as a substitute Big anytime someone from the family is missing at a sorority event.
She takes on the roles of a sister, mom, grandma, and friend, all while living her own life. If you have a question about your sorority, chances are she knows the answer. If you need life advice, she'll give it to you. If you need to borrow an outfit for a function, she'll invite you over to raid her closet. If you forget something at home, chances are she has a few extra in her car "just in case." She plays mom and acts as the family photographer at every event. She is the calm in the middle of a storm because she knows better than to freak out. She is the person that tells every younger member "No, it will be okay," because she is wise enough to know that everything will actually be okay.
So, thank you to my G-Big, for making our family tree so great.