I came home a few weeks ago after finishing up my junior year of college thinking I could slow my schedule down for a while before starting a DC internship. Ha. That was a funny joke. My three younger siblings are involved in every activity under the sun, and slowing down is never really an option. Instead, I just went from my busy schedule to theirs. Yet no matter how many softball games I get sunburnt at or dance dress rehearsals I sit through, something always happens to remind me how fortunate I am to have this opportunity. I like to groan and complain and roll my eyes at the fourth game of the week, but really these hectic summer sports seasons are my favorite time of year.

I love being a big sister in the summer because I get to sit back and watch my preteen sisters become leaders in their own spheres of interest. I get to see that excitement in their eyes every time they make that base hit or get that out. I get to laugh as they argue about which bat they are going to use that day.

Then I remember I'm only laughing because I don't have any idea what they are talking about, so the joke is actually on me. I get to see them grow and excel as better teammates, players and friends. I get to have way too many sunburns that never turn into tans. I get to have way too many sunflower seeds spit on me. I get to spend way too many nights stuck in an uncomfortable lawn chair. I pay the low price of all of these annoyances for the much bigger privilege to be able to watch my girls grow right before my eyes.

Of course, we can't forget my little brother. For him, it's not yet the crazy life of summer sports, but instead dance and tumbling. After watching my youngest sister dance his whole life, my brother decided dance class was also for him. For one weekend every year, my family puts their entire life on hold to attend rehearsal after rehearsal and performance after performance in order to celebrate the work of these little dancers.

I get to giggle as I watch my brother try to remember his dance steps. I get to laugh out loud as he breaks out of his ballet dance and starts shaking his behind instead. I get to smile as I see him developing his confidence and personality. I get to share this big milestone in a toddler's life.

And then my sister comes out to dance. I get to pretend like my "allergies" are acting up as I tear up in her ballet number because I realize that she's not really a baby anymore even though I still call her Baby Zanda. I get to shake my head as I realize no matter how hard I try, I can't convince an 11-year-old to smile if she doesn't want to.

As I watch my siblings in the summer, I realize how much I missed while I was at college. Sometimes they feel like completely different people. But in the summer, they also let me into this new life. I get to learn about the people they have become. For a few short weeks in the summer, I get to suspend my crazy college life and become immersed completely in theirs. I get to be obnoxiously proud of the three little babies that grew up sometime when I wasn't looking. In the summer, I just get to slow down, sit back and enjoy all the perks of being a sister.