There are perks to being the oldest: you get to do everything first, and you’re typically left in charge. There are perks to being the youngest: you get away with the most, you’re always going to be the beloved “baby” of the family. But being the middle sister, I have to say, gets the best perk; having the best of both worlds: an older and a younger sister.
From getting first-hand advice to fashion to boys to having the best role model to look up to, having an older sister has gotten me through some of the worst and best times. Anything that I have had to go through, the hell of junior year, to my first nerve-wracking homecoming, my Didi (older sister), had already gone through it. Apart from advice (which regardless of if you have a sister or not, people generally have easy access to) having an older sister meant having someone to provide you with constant attention. From scavenger hunts to re-enacting our favorite movies, me and my younger sister, Suhina, were always entertained by whatever activity Didi concocted that day. Then after a day full of Mario Kart, or learning a new dance, we’d fall asleep in her bed talking about my latest crush, or reminiscing about last Thanksgiving.
But what happens when college comes? She leaves… but there’s still breaks at least. Then after college? That’s when things get tough. I can’t speak from experience; merely observation. But it’s a pretty obvious fact that life after college gets hectic. Life gets real, life gets busy. But the best thing about your role model being your sister, is you don’t have to worry about any of that stuff, because no matter, what they will always be family, and there will always be that bond. Having an older sister is so much more than learning how to put on eye shadow, or getting that hand me down tube top she just grew out of; having an older sister is always having a friend, a guide; someone who is constantly looking out for you and who you know always has your back, whether she is sleeping in the bed next to you, or across the country.
Growing up with a younger sister so close in age meant always having a friend by my side. From dance classes to summer camps, and all the obligatory family/ family friend parties in between, I always had my best friend by my side. And once I went off to college, she was still by my time because I FaceTime-ed her for every little thing possible. Then, even when she couldn’t talk, I had countless videos of movie trailers that we made in our long car rides to our Grandparents’ house that raised the biggest wave of nostalgia and… utter embarrassment. As I mentioned before, life gets busier the older you get, so when things got hectic for me, having a younger sister meant she was in her senioritis stage of having nothing to do and was always free to talk to me! As I tell her all the time, sometimes I forget my younger sister is younger than me because she is so much wiser and mature than I am, and someone I look up to. You would think if you need advice go to someone older who's been through it; but sometimes it’s nice to talk to someone who may not have experienced it yet because they have such a fresh, unbiased perspective. No one keeps me more grounded than Suhina. I can always count on her to remind me to look past the bad or tell me I’m overreacting, and know it must be true.
Regardless of younger or older, the best thing about sisters is that you always learn something from them. My Didi is brave. From picking up everything and moving to a new state, venturing to a new industry and just starting completely from scratch… my Didi is the epitome of courageous. It takes one thing to have the guts to initiate something, but it’s another to have the perseverance to stick with it. Didi has exhibited an immense amount of persistence, and her hard work is finally paying off. From starting off with no background in the TV industry, in just a few short years she’s on her way to becoming the Queen of Hollywood- walking in NYC’s Couture Fashion Week, to starring on the new reality TV series Made in America (TUNE IN Thursday August 10th at 10:30 pm on channel Zee TV)! From the hundreds of things I’ve learned from my Didi, the biggest takeaway is that I can do anything I want, I can become whoever I want, as long as I set my mind to it; she is one of my biggest motivators and I’m so thankful to have someone so inspiring in my life.
My sissy, Suhina, is nothing short of flawless. From conquering the sports world of swim, tennis, and practically every dance known to man, to getting into the amazing school that she’s at, it’s evident that Suhina is determined. Anything she sets her mind to, I know she can achieve it, even if she doesn’t realize it. One of the perks of being the older sister is that I got to be there and watch her grow every step of the way, and witness all that she’s achieved, and overall just be so unbelievably proud of her. Another amazing trait she possesses is self-assurance. Suhina is confident. I’ve never met anyone who is more comfortable with who they are and that is one of the most important qualities I believe one should have. Knowing who you are and not being afraid to be that person at all times regardless of who you’re around or where you are shows the highest level of inner-security and one of the keys to happiness.
I’m so proud of both of my Charlie's Angels and I hope I can one day achieve the level of fearlessness my Didi has and believe in myself like Suhina does. The best feeling in the world is knowing you have someone you can turn to at any time for absolutely anything, and the fact that I have two people for that makes me one of the lucky ones.
