One of the many perks of joining a sorority is receiving a “Big,” or in Alpha Delta Pi land, a “Big Diamond Sister.” The concept of having a Big is well known not only to those within the sorority, but also to those on the outside. To most it is considered an honor to be a Big or a Little because you now have someone that is not related to you by blood, but they must love you as if you were.

I am a member of Alpha Delta Pi, and becoming a Little Diamond Sister (or Little) can be a bit more challenging than one would expect. If you are anything like me, then you pondered the idea of what your Big would be like after receiving your bid. Thus begins the process of "the pre-stress" when the soon to be Little begins to stress about the identity, the intentions, and the hope that her Big will like her. Also within this phase, is the awkward gap of time where you have to continue to guess who your Big might be. Some Bigs have a hard time containing their excitement and decide to drop hints. Mine however dropped some hints that I most definitely missed, due to the fact that I had assumed she was just trying to be my friend.

Note that after going through the "pre-stress phase", there is a period of time called, "the regular stress phase". This phase, is essentially an adjustment time period. This occurs after the Big/Little reveal during the first few weeks of officially being family. During this phase, the Little mainly stresses about whether or not her Big will accept and like her.

After going through this process, I know that I stressed for nothing. At the end of the day, the Little must remind herself that her Big picked her for a reason. It is true that every Little holds a special place in their Big's heart.

I have been so amazingly blessed to receive an amazing Big Diamond Sister. She pushes me to aim a little bit higher, work a little bit harder, and look for the good in everything. She continues to be there for me no matter what. While we always joke about forced love and mandatory friendships, I know that my Big Diamond Sister truly loves me and will always stand beside me. Shout out to her for giving me someone to look up to, and to aspire to achieve my dreams such as she has worked so hard to do. Thank you for the countless memories, endless laughs, and encouraging words.

"Here's to you, Here's to me, Big and Little we'll always be."