Four years of my life were quiet. They were undisturbed. They were perfect, or so I thought. At the time, I didn’t know that a tiny human could have such a meaningful impact on my life. I didn’t know that she would impact my best days while also being a part of my worst. I am not going to sit here and say that my relationship with my sister has always been perfect. We argue, she makes my bad days worse, and she does what any annoying little sister would do: she steals my clothes.
One true thing about me is that I am an older sister. I am a senior, and my sister is a freshman. We have always been mistaken for twins, but I don’t know why. I have blue eyes, and she has green eyes, which I think is different enough. It might be the blonde hair or the need to always be right. Who knows…my sister and I have always been very close. She comes to me when she needs shelter through the storm, and I go to her when I need to laugh, especially if I feel like I’m about to cry.
In 5 months, I will no longer be her ride to school, and I will no longer see her in the hallways. In 7 months, we will no longer share a bathroom, she will no longer be three steps away from my room, and we will no longer get in trouble for being just a little too loud at night when our mom is trying to sleep.
As much as she annoys me, my sister has been my rock, the one constant in my life of chaos. For a while, I told people I wasn’t going far for college because my mom and my sister would drive each other crazy. I told them I want to be home for my sister’s school dances, and I want to be able to come home on long weekends. That is all true, but I may not have been completely honest with them or myself: I am terrified. I am terrified that the house is not going to fall apart without me there. I am terrified that they will be fine, that they won’t need me. My sister will get the bathroom to herself, and the treadmill will move from the garage into my room, as if I never lived there.
As of right now, I don’t know what is in store for me, and I don’t know the path I’m supposed to take; but at the end of the day, I know the house will not fall, my bed will not move, and my rock will always be there whenever I need her. Leaving for school might be the most difficult thing I think I’m ever going to do, but having such a strong support system at home will reassure me that change is okay. Two things will stay the same for sure: my mom and my little sister.
