I tell my sister she's beautiful. I say, "Guess what? You're pretty." I call her my pretty girl, which has been my nickname for her since the day she was born. I tell her this so much that I'm sure she's tired of hearing it. But that's okay. I tell her she's beautiful because she is. I want her to know that even in the cruel world that is middle school, no one can tell her she is ugly or worthless because that is not true.
I tell my sister she is smart. My sister can tell you any fact that she has heard. She can remember pretty much everything, whether she learned it in school or on TV. She can do her math faster than I can and she can write the most beautiful stories. She is smarter than I was at her age, and smarter than I'll ever be. I tell her she is smart because even if she feels like she is dumb, I want her to know that is not true.
I tell my sister she is talented. My sister is good at pretty much everything, but what she excels at is art. My sister is an artist. She can paint a beautiful painting, draw an accurate picture of her favorite TV show character, and make cool sculptures. I tell her work is beautiful and she did an amazing job. I tell her she is talented because I want her to know she is good at something. Even though some people might say she has no talent, I want her to know that is not true.
I tell my sister she is funny. My sister makes hilarious jokes. She always finds a way to make me laugh even when I'm upset. I can never be mad at her for long because she will say or do something funny and then I end up laughing and forgetting why I was mad in the first place. Sometimes I make her laugh and then I end up laughing at her laugh. I tell my sister she is funny because even if someone says she is boring, I want her to know that is not true.
I tell her all these things because we live in a world that is constantly telling us "we aren't this" or "we can't do that." I want my sister to know that she is a smart, beautiful, talented, kind, and funny, person regardless of what anyone else has to say. I want her to know that she can do anything and be anything she wants. I want to fill her up with the truth so when she hears a lie, she won't believe it. I tell her these things because I wish I was told those things more often when I was 12 and didn't think very highly of myself.
I tell my sister I love her. I give her hugs and kisses and, although I probably smother her, I won't ever stop. I hold her and tell her how loved she is. We even do the whole "I love you, I love you more" thing until one of us gets tired. I tell her I'm proud of her and all the great things she does. I tell her I love her because if someone ever tells her she is not loved, I want her to know that is not true. I tell her I love her because that is true. I tell her I love her because I do.
