My dearest sister. My sunshine. You're about one-fourth of the way finished with senior year, and my emotions are all over the place. I'm happy, I'm anxious, shocked that time has flown by so quickly. I can't believe that you're already at this stage in your life: making decisions that are going to affect the rest of your life. I remember being there just a mere two years ago. It seems like yesterday. Being the somewhat wiser older sister I am, there's just a few words I have for you as this stage of life commences for you.

Take every moment and cherish it. The time that you spend cheering for your beloved #25, the time you spend stretching with your team to go out and dance pre-game, the time you spend opening your locker and walking to class, the time you spend getting ready to walk for Homecoming. Those moments are so limited and they are sweet. High school is the only time in your life that's going to be like this. Enjoy it.

Dream big. Don't let anyone try to tell you that you should change your goals or path because they don't agree with them. Keep on dreaming. And dream big. You have limitless potential and a vast amount of talent following right along with you.

Take the bad times for what they are. Of course not every single moment is going to be great and memorable. But the bad times are going to teach you so many things. About your friends. About your family. About yourself. They are valuable while they may not be pleasant. You can tackle them.

Study hard. While high school is a considerable breeze to college classes, take the time now to learn how to study and how to take notes effectively. It's easier to make mistakes and learn from them when the material isn't as hard as what it will be in the future. Pay attention to your teachers, and always reach out for help. Learn how to do it now so you won't have to learn how to later.

Forget about the ones that hurt you. People suck. I've told you that, and I know mom and dad have both told us that. But it's true. People are selfish and they only look out for themselves, and sometimes you'll get struck in the crossfire. It's okay. You're better than people like that anyways. Never settle for anything less than you deserve. And that is especially true for friends.

Never be afraid to talk to me. We fight. We argue. We barely agree on anything. We make jokes about each other. But I love you. I love you more than you'll ever know, and I want to see you succeed. I'm always a text or FaceTime away when you want to talk about anything. This stage of life is hard. But it's all setting up for something much bigger that neither of us have seen yet.

What I want for your future is best summed up by the lyrics of a well-known country song.

"My wish for you is that this life becomes all that you want it to / Your dreams stay big and your worries stay small and you never need to carry more than you can hold / And while you're out there gettin' where you're gettin' to / I hope you know somebody loves you and wants the same things too"

My little sister, I don't want you to grow up. But I know you're going to have to. And I think if anybody in this world is going to change it, it's you.

I love you, sister.