People come and go in life: friends, coworkers, peers; but the one thing about family is no matter where life may take you, they're the ones who will never leave your side. I was lucky enough to grow up with a younger sister, and I couldn't have asked for a better best friend by my side in this crazy world. Here are just a few of the things I forget to take the time to appreciate about having a baby sis:
1. She suffered through all the boring family parties with you.
Some of us were lucky enough to have some cool cousins to help us out with this too, but I know I always clung to my sister during family parties. The table was full of boring adults talking about boring politics, and your older cousins were doing cool stuff you weren't allowed to do, but that's okay, because you had your sister to roll your eyes with and make fun of your grandpa snoring on the couch.
2. She knows you better than anyone else.
When you share a living space with someone for as long as sisters have, you get to know the person really well (sometimes even better than you want to). You can tell when they're stressed out, having a bad day, or about to break down. One of the most comforting things about having a little sister is that no matter the time of day, you have someone to curl up with when it feels like no one else is there. You know that she can sense when something is wrong even when you can't, and she probably knows exactly how to fix it.
3. She isn't afraid to give you tough love when you need it.
Some friends in life will be by your side through everything, including bad decisions. It's so important in life to have that friend that isn't afraid to call you out on your mistakes, and to give you that much needed wake-up call when you're too deep in a situation to see the extent of it. Your baby sister will always be that person for you, even if you sometimes don't want to hear it.
4. She is the only one who fully understands your complaints about your parents.
Don't get me wrong. I love my parents more than I could ever put into words, and I'm grateful for them every single day. But it's just a natural part of being a kid to complain about your parents sometimes. No matter how much we love them, we get frustrated with them sometimes, and nobody understands and validates you more than your little sister.
5. She is your biggest fan.
No one in the world will ever look up to you the way your little sister does. She might show it by copying you, and it's natural to be annoyed by it at times, but at the end of the day, she does it because she admires you. And if you're as lucky as I am, as time goes on, she's gonna grow up into an amazing young lady, and you'll end up being the one looking up to her.
6. She keeps you young.
It's really easy to want to grow up too quickly, and we often find ourselves wishing our lives away. Your little sister slows down time for you: She kept you playing with Barbies until you were 12 and making up songs together on the swing set in your backyard. No matter how old you get, your little sister will always help you keep your innocence and youth.
When all is said in done, it really is true that all we have in life for certain is our family, especially our siblings, and I couldn't have asked for a better not-so-baby sis to call my best friend.
