Growing up with an older sister is like having your own personal life long Seventeen, Marie Claire, or Cosmo magazine subscription. You learn the in's and out's of life, dating, friendships, quick beauty hacks, and everything in between. There's no secret that your older sister really was a blessing – even when you swore you hated her for not letting you wear her favorite shirt. Between the WWE style fights, always being the punch line at dinner, and trying to come to terms with being told you were adopted at least ten times a day; you knew it was all just fun and games and if anyone had your back, it was her. Your older sister was your first friend, best teacher, and toughest bodyguard. Because of her, you're a better person.
Before you came along, there's a pretty good chance she was the only child and if not she still had no idea what was about to hit her. The first two or so years of your life, you were her personal baby doll. She dragged you around like her favorite blanket and guarded "her baby" with her life. She spent a majority of her free time teaching you how to walk and talk and once you learned, she tried to force you to sit down and shut up. The carefree, wrecking ball way about you was something she never knew she needed until you came along. You taught her how to be responsible and were the cause for the first signs of her nurturing persona.
Once you hit about five or six and stopped being cute and doing everything she demanded, she most likely begged your parents to send you back/throw you away/lose you in the grocery store. After her countless attempts to dispose of you she finally realized that you were there to stay and it was her job to torment you. There's no hiding the fact that she enjoyed every minute of your pain leading up to the second you told your parents on her. Of course, it was fine for her to pick on you, but if somebody else even dared to look at you wrong she was the first person to your aide. All the times she picked on you or made you cry she was just making you a stronger person and gave you experience in dealing with the bullies – not far ahead in your future.
She’s the first person you have and always will look to for whatever you need. She's the only one who knows your parents sweet spot just as well as you do and when you worked your charm together, there was nothing you asked for that you wouldn't get. Honestly though, how could your parents say no to double the batted eyelashes, puppy dog stares and deviant smiles? Whether you were asking for something small like ice cream after dinner or an expensive, completely unnecessary toy, you pretty much knew it was yours before you even asked. She also knew exactly what to say to get you out of trouble and never made you feel like you owed her afterwards.
When you got older and had juicy secrets or heard a new rumor she was the first person you ran to with the details. "Don't tell anyone" didn't apply to your older sister ,and people should have recognized that a long time ago. Looking back, you realize that even though, "Becky kissed Brian on the lips after 7th period by the lockers last Friday" wasn't something that fazed her; she never hinted it to you. Of course you had best friends your own age but no one could be trusted with the dirt like her.
You saw her at her first heartbreak, and you learned that crying isn't a sign of weakness but rather a sign of strength. Seeing her like that physically made your heart hurt, but after a few weeks she was out of her slump and back in the game. At her expense, you learned that breakups are inevitable and it's usually the one with the loyal, pure heart who hurts the most from them. A couple years down the road when you experienced your first great heart break you remembered her's and admired the poise and resilience she displayed even at such a low point in her life. Having her "been there, done that", you knew she was just the one to talk you through the crisis. When she finally found "the one", you knew he must have been amazing because settling for less just wasn't something she did. You knew well before he spotted the first sign that he was in for a great ride with her. She's crazy, but the good kind of crazy, and she was definitely crazy about him. Together, they showed you how crucial values and communication is, the importance of mutual respect and the power of affection. Even though at times they made you want to puke, nothing made you happier than seeing her happy and being treated like the diva princess she is.
Lucky for you, all of the admirable traits your sister had since before you were born were handed down with incredible care and proved to be huge shoes to fill. She showed you how to act, the meanings of loyalty, respect, and trust. She used her life as a test drive for yours, which without a doubt saved you from a few flat tires. There’s no one else you would want to live and learn through and you can't help but want to cry when you think about how lucky you got. You don't know what made you so lucky to win the sister lottery, but you do know there was an angel on your side. There's nothing more rewarding than having a built in best friend who has your back equally as much as you have hers. Understandably so, you're not sure how you could ever repay her for all of the valuable lessons, shoulders lent to cry on, giving you the most genuine friendship you will ever experience, not killing you all those times she really wanted to, or standing up to your mom and dad with you even when she knew you were wrong. What you do know though, is that because of her, you're a better person.
