By far the hardest part about leaving for college was realizing that I would not be living under the same roof as my two best friends. Yes, it sounds so cliche, but my little sisters are truly my best friends. Having little sisters has so many benefits, big and small. For me, they are two extensions of my own closet, my personal makeup artists, and they are the ones I go to when I need an honest opinion. Little sisters, if they are anything like mine, are always there to tell you that you deserve more than that dumb boy, they’re there to defend you when you are in deep shit with your parents, and they are the people who know you better than you know yourself. If college has made me realize anything, it is that friends come and go, but sisters are forever.
I never realized just how much I depend on my sisters until I was away at college. Granted, I am only a short 30 minute drive from home, but 30 minutes feels like forever when you are having a bad day and can’t just hop into bed with your sisters, eat popcorn, and watch Netflix. I can honestly say that my sisters have seen me at my absolute worst. They have been with me for the lowest points in my life, and still continue to love me endlessly and unconditionally. If I am being ridiculous and overreacting about something incredibly minuscule, they are the first ones to let me know with a “Really Nat?”
Everyone has dealt with their fair share of heartbreak, and I have found that my sisters are the ones who know just what to say to mend it all. “You are so much stronger and deserve better than that” or a “Ew, he’s gross and stupid don’t give him any more of your time” are just some of the words that have literally turned my world around and made me feel alright again. When I feel as though my entire life is crashing down, my sisters are the ones who remind me that tomorrow is another day, and that pain does not last forever.
I am definitely the weirdest version of myself with my sisters. There are no two people on this earth who I feel like I can be my complete and utter self with. It gets scary at times, because I don’t realize that normally people don’t nakedly walk into other people’s rooms borrow clothes. Wearing no clothes around my sisters is oddly comfortable, but when it comes to almost committing a fashion faux-paus, they come in clutch with a “do not wear that in public you will embarrass us.” From the countless dance parties that usually resulted in our mom telling us to turn down the music, to late night Wendy’s runs, to having inside jokes that no one could begin to comprehend, my sisters are the people who have seen it all--the good, the bad, and the downright bizarre.
To say I have no idea where I would be without my sisters is an enormous understatement; I would not be the person I am today if I did not have them in my life. In tough situations, I often think to myself “what would Deede/Elena do in this instance?” Or if I am faced with a decision that tests what I stand for, I think “is this something that Deede/Elena would be proud of?” While I am the eldest sister of the family, I don’t think my sisters realize how much I look up to them. They push me to be stronger and remind me not to take shit from anybody, never to settle for less than I deserve, and above all else to never change for anybody, because I would not be the same, weird, silly, loving older sister if I did. So to Deede, Elena, and all of the siblings out there that us eldest siblings could not live without, this one’s for you.
