If there’s one thing that I can’t live without, it would be my family. They’re the reason I get out of bed every morning with a smile on my face. They’ve given me a roof over my head for the past 20 years (Almost 21, but who’s counting?) along with their endless love and support. Although, the roof over my head is only part of the house that I live in. My home, on the other hand, is made up of the people I’m lucky enough to spend every day with. I’d still be just as lucky to live in a cardboard box as long as it means I get to share it with my family.

As cool as my parents are, my sister truly takes the cake (both figuratively and literally) when it comes to being the coolest family member. Even though my parents think that saying “lit” automatically makes them cool, they just don’t get it. My sister, who’s older than me by just three years, actually does get it. She knows what its like to be a stressed-out college student, a responsible daughter, and a loyal friend all at the same time. My parents, however, will never understand the struggle of deciding which picture to put on Instagram the same way my sister and I do.

Throughout the years, my sister has had my back through it all. Whether it be my first steps as a baby or my first steps on my college campus, she hasn’t missed a beat. She’s my best friend, therapist, and life coach – and the best part is that I don’t have to pay her a single penny for her services. It’s an unspoken rule between all sisters that you have each other’s backs no matter what.

Without her by my side all these years, there’s a good chance that I could’ve been shoved into a locker in middle school. Better yet, I would still be looking for the pool on the third floor had she not told me it didn’t exist. She hasn’t led me down the wrong path yet, so I guess she must be a pretty good role model.

Once upon a time (or more like three years ago), we worked together over the summer at a day camp. She had been there for quite some time at that point, whereas it was my first year and I was a straight up rookie. She did everything with such ease, as if she had come out of the womb working there. Meanwhile, by the end of my first day, I was ready to have a breakdown – and by that I mean I did have a breakdown. However, like any good sister would, she told me to keep my head up high and not let it get in the way of the rest of my summer. I’m beyond grateful for the lesson she taught me there, because she helped teach me that things truly do get better with time.

Of course, we still get into fights just as any other siblings do. More often than not, we fight over the most ridiculous things to the point where I find myself asking, “Why are we even having this argument in the first place?” However, these seemingly-stupid fights teach both of us that without each other, our lives would probably be so boring.

When we’re not fighting, I’m most likely asking her at least 20 questions a day (and that’s on a good day). No matter how fed up she gets with me and how much she complains, I know she’ll still answer them because she’s my sister and that’s what sisters do.

So what I’m trying to say here is that I’m lucky to have my sister around. Actually, calling myself lucky would be an understatement. There are no words to explain how truly blessed I am to have ended up with a sister as caring, supportive, and dependable as my sister is. Not a day goes by where I think to myself how fortunate I am to have my big sister around at all times. With all the kvetching that I make her put up with, it’s a miracle that she’s decided to keep me around all these years.

Now, if only she would help me think of a good topic for my next article…