I have a younger sister who is currently in the throes of middle school. Usually, when I tell people that, they give me some sort of negative reaction such as "yikes" or "oh boy." That's because everyone knows that "middle school" is a synonym for "awkward phase."

However, I am here to squash that myth because, unique from almost everybody I know, my sister never went through an awkward phase.

I came to this conclusion about a year ago when I realized she was halfway through middle school and I had yet to really ever stop and think, "wow, that kid is a little awkward." I can certainly pinpoint times in my life where people must have thought that about me, so why couldn't I find that moment with her? The answer is simple, so simple I almost didn't' see it.

My little sister never went through an awkward phase because she had three older sisters to experience it for her and show her what not to do.

She will be entering high school with three sisters in college. That means she was able to watch us all go through our awkward phases and take note of what people find to be "weird" so that she didn't have to experience it herself. Not only that but now she has us to demonstrate to her what is "normal" behavior as well as keep her up to date on current trends so that she is never oblivious to what's happening in the world around her, as many middle schoolers are. It is in those years that you usually begin to notice more about the world outside of your own life, but she seemed to have a grasp on that concept before even setting foot on her middle school campus after having her big sisters to show her all of that.

Since she became independent enough to make decisions on her own, she has never failed to dress well, live a fulfilling life (so far), and act way more mature than her age. It makes me wish that I had someone around to uncover that part of my brain that tells me, "hey, that's kind of a weird thing to do/say. You might regret that when you're older." But now I get to be that person for my sister and I suppose that's satisfying enough.

So if you know somebody who is about to go through the pre-teen madness that is middle school, maybe try and present yourself as a mentor to them. They might thank you in the future when they look back and realize they didn't experience an awkward phase, just like my little sister.

And Hannah, if you're reading this, you're one of the lucky ones. Never take that for granted (and I DID promise you I'd write this weeks article about you).