I am a very fortunate person. I have been given countless privileges since the day I was born, and every facet of my life is thanks to our incredible and hard-working parents we are so lucky to have. But the thing I am most fortunate to have is you, my younger sister. Even though I am three years older, we are practically twins. I miss you more than anything when I’m at school, and I know I don’t tell you often enough just how special you are. So here’s to you, a simple thanks for being you. You are so important to me in so many different ways, and hopefully this captures that. I would apologize for the cheesiness, but it’s really all true.
To my sister, my confidante: everybody needs someone they can talk to about anything and tell every last detail of their life to, and I am so happy we have each other for that. Talking to you constantly is comforting, even if half the time it’s just over Snapchat (it’s also nice to be able to trust each other with our most unflattering selfies). We will always have each other’s backs, and knowing you’re there for me no matter what gives me the confidence to dream big and try new things. Although soon I will head into the (very scary) “real world,” I am able to rest easy knowing that you will be right there, through the ups and the downs, and you will support me no matter what.
To my sister, the high school junior: I know how hard it all seems right now. The driver’s ed, the SAT tutoring, the extracurricular activities, the APs: you must be thinking it will never end. I’ve been there; I remember exactly how awful AP Physics is and what it’s like to run on minimal sleep for weeks on end (though I hope my old study guides actually are helping you). But I promise you it will be okay. You WILL get into a great college, one where you fit in and have a multitude of exciting opportunities. This one year will not define the rest of your life, who you are or how successful you will be. You were born to do great things, and I can’t wait to see where you go in the future. You will survive this.
To my sister, my other half: everyone has weird quirks, and ours happen to be the same. Sometimes it seems like we’re two halves of the same person. When I’m overwhelmed with work and overly stressed, all I want is to be home so you can do something ridiculous to make me laugh and feel better. Though texting and FaceTime are nice, hanging out with you in person is really one of my favorite things to do. There is truly no one else in the world whom I would rather watch and quote every single Harry Potter movie with.
To my sister, the athlete: the one major difference between us has always been your athletic ability, and my lack thereof. While sports never were and never will be my strongest area, you have always excelled in them. Your dedication to both soccer and track inspire and astound me (I seriously will never understand why you enjoy running outside in the winter), and your constant commitment to improving yourself makes me evaluate my life to see how I can do that as well.
To my sister, a younger me: I take the job of “big sister” incredibly seriously. I know you look up to me, and I hope to live my life in a way that inspires you. I work hard and try to reach my full potential, and I am always hoping you will do the same. I often see so much of myself in you; I obviously don’t want you to follow in my footsteps exactly, but I want to make sure I am the kind of person I would want my little sister looking up to. I am always aware that you look up to me, and – going back to something I believe was in my speech at your bat mitzvah – this knowledge only serves to make me a better person.
To my sister, my role model: even though you’re younger than me, I look up to you, too. It is so rare to find a truly good person, and I know you don’t see yourself as that, but you really are one of those precious few. You are such an extraordinary individual: your work helping disabled kids play soccer and basketball continues to inspire me every day. I can only hope that in my daily life I am as kind, open, fun-loving, and optimistic as you are. You have a gift in your ability to bring smiles to every person whose life you touch, and I know there is still so much I can learn from you.
To my sister, my best friend: the best part about having a sister is having a built-in best friend. No matter what is going on anywhere else in my life, you are always a constant. You know how to make me laugh, you know when I need to vent; you know every little thing about me. When we were younger I thought that a sister was just a sister, but I can now say with absolute certainty that you are so much more than just that. You are without a doubt my best friend in the entire world, and I am so, so lucky to have you. Thank you for being there for me, thank you for being my rock, and thank you for being your incredible self.
I love you so much.
