I remember the anticipation for the final list of bigs and littles to be posted last October break. I was with two of my sisters, and we excitedly rushed to a laptop to see if we got the greatest treasures we could get -- the perfect littles. We frantically searched for our names and saw them paired with the girls we had already spent our break crafting for. That moment was complete bliss and nothing less than perfect. 

Becoming a big was the start of a new chapter in my Greek life. I was no longer solely a younger member looking up to the older members. I was, now, the woman that a sister I love dearly would look up to in all aspects of Greek and personal life. I was certainly ready for the challenge with my Martha Stewart craft supplies and hand written letters of encouragement and love for my little. However, a new challenge awaits me this semester: becoming a grand big.

I feel far too young to have two generations, so to speak, below me. It feels like just yesterday I became an initiated sister into my organization and got my big. Much time has passed and we need to face the truth of getting older, wiser, and more influential to our younger members.  We are now the older sisters in our chapters, and we better start on that tie-blanket and those painted, wooden letters. Sure, we’ve learned a lot since joining Greek life, and we’ve become better women, but just because we’re older, and possibly less visible to our younger members, doesn’t give us the excuse to slack off and settle for where and who we are.      

With recruitment not too far in the past, it’s important to remember what we preached. What are our values that we hoped to share with our new sisters? What motivated us to push through the formal recruitment process? What intrinsic rewards did we feel when we saw our newest members running towards us on bid night? These are the questions we need to keep in mind, because they are what will make us better bigs and grand bigs. Living with the answers to these questions in mind can only benefit us, especially when we’re questioning ourselves as role models.     

I always wish I could do more for my little, and I’m sure I’ll feel even more pressure once she has a little herself. The beauty of it is that the bond between us is, and will be, unlike others. There’s a reason you have that bond with that particular sister or sisters. Just do the best you can to be a good mentor, friend, and sister, and you’ll forever be a part of her heart and fondest memories. Embrace the challenge of not being looked up to by only one special sister, but two, and you will be just as perfect to them as your big and grand big are to you.