Dear Kaliegh,

How are you still impacting so many lives here? It amazes me how inspiring you are; you truly came to this earth to fulfill a goal and you completed the mission that God had sent you here to do and that is why you had to leave us so soon.

I strive every day to be able to leave the same amazing legacy you left. Every day I realize how beautiful, talented and admirable my sister is. MY sister. Yes, you are still my sister. People have asked me how many siblings I have and sometimes I have to stop and think, but I know I have one amazing sister. She just relocated to heaven.

You already know how much I adore you from the fact that I followed/copied your every move for 16 years of my life. I was always trying to be like you, it was just more fun that way. But I want to thank you for giving me 16 years of my life that I will never regret, 16 years that I will relive in my head forever, 16 years of endless stories to tell my kids about their amazing aunt who loves them very much and 16 years spent with my amazing sister.

Thank you for giving me a role model.

Teaching me how to mousse my hair the proper way definitely helped me out through my awkward years. If all else failed, at least I knew my hair was going to look good. I was never a fan of makeup and even during school dances or big events, I still didn't want to wear it and I always let you do it. I'm not going to lie: every time you did my makeup, I felt like a princess. So from that point on, whenever I had homecoming or prom – or even now when I have events – I do my makeup how you would've done it for me and I feel like I have a piece of you with me.

Thank you for filling my childhood with endless laughter and memories.

Our family is beyond amazing, but you know that when we get in big groups I always used to get overwhelmed and it was so nice knowing I had you to get me through any family gathering. Who would let me stay in their room every Christmas Eve? The fact that I had a person to go through the good and the bad with me – whether it was when we lost our uncle or when we tried and tried to convince mom to get us a new dog – you had my back and I had yours. And don't worry, K; I still and will forever have yours and I know you are doing the same for me.

Thank you for loving me through all the fights.

When you were in high school and I was still in middle school, we had a two-hour gap between when we both went to school. I will never forget the squeaking of my door being opened at 6 a.m. – nearly every morning – when you would poke your head in and say, "I just need to borrow something." I would wake up screaming, but you still borrowed my clothes anyway. I wish I would have let you borrow more clothes without such a fuss, K. Really the only fights we got into were over borrowing someone's brand new Sophie & Trey dress or that brand new romper that we bought ourselves.

Thank you for being my person and my best friend.

Lastly, thank you for being more than a sister, but my best friend. I am truly blessed for all the memories and laughs I have shared with you and I will cherish them forever. Don't ever forget that I love you so much. Kaliegh Nicole, I promise you, you will never be forgotten. My kids will know who their Aunt Kaliegh is, my husband will share the love I have for you, our parents will keep fighting because they have two amazing daughters and our family will keep striving to honor you in everything we do. I will never let anyone forget you and I will never let anyone dull my sparkle!

I love you forever, Kaliegh Nicole Ottis.

Love always,

Your little sister