Big Sisters

Big sisters don’t stand behind someone’s shadow; they place their hands on their hips and take the heat of the afternoon sun.

Big sisters sometimes stand and assess in worry as we sit behind them at the hem of their skirts, unassumingly.

They will sometimes tell you to face the storm by bravely standing still, just as they do. But, when it comes down to it, they can be found holding an umbrella to save us.

Big sisters are the ones that dive into the sea of adolescence headfirst, and you get to have a peek into the mysteries of that sea right before it’s your turn to jump.

The privilege of a younger sibling is knowing that no matter how far you’ve gone, you always have a pair of arms to run back to.

From my irrepressibly egotistical teenage perspective, I got to see her facing moments of flood and sunshine until the navigating settled, and she spread her roots and bloomed.

She’s iridescent. Everyone sees her glow, and I see us walking on dirt roads, holding our lunch bags, and calling taxi cabs to get to school.

Countless shared experiences remain just for us two. We loved and lost, and we’ve shared joy and pain exactly the same.

You may see the tenderness in her outside shell, but my sister is vigorous, she navigated life and nursing school, and delivered excellence.

My sister’s heart is pure and genuine. She believes in responding to cruelty with kindness (and I am still working on doing the same).