I was a month shy of three years old when my first sister (one of four if you can believe it) was born. And even with all of the fights, tears, yelling and rattle-telling, I have never been so lucky.

When you're little, your sibling is basically the only friend you have in this huge world that you know and understand very little about... or at least that's how it went for me. You play together, you get in trouble together, you grab the flashlight while your sister lifts up the sheets to kill the monster under the bed together. That's how you remember childhood, and 60 years from now, when you're both trying to help each other off the couch, you still remember it that way.

Things are different now. I'm preparing for graduation the real world at 22, and she, living out her last teenage months, is just starting to really find herself. The real Madeleine Wolfenberger. I go to school in New York and she in Tennessee.

But even with nearly 800 miles between us for three-fourths of the year, Mad is one of my best friends.

Here's why:

1. We hang out not because we live under the same roof and basically have to but because we honestly just kinda want to.

2. I trust her 5000%. Period.

Itell Maddie EVERYTHING... even the stuff that she wishes I never told her to begin with. Why? Because I know she'll never judge me or share it with anyone else.

3. Odds are, whatever I like, she probably likes.

Clothes, food, movies, music, boys... it's all the same! Which, of course, is so nice for movie night or DJ-ing on long roads trips. But liking all the same stuff can be just as horrible as it is awesome. Like when you both are into oversized sweaters and yours are currently dirty or you both want the navy blue phone case but hate "twinning."

Lately Maddie and I have been duking it out over which celebrity is "ours." For those of you confused about how you can claim someone, much less a famous someone, it works like so, when you see a movie, TV show, etc., the first person to see "he's my husband" earns the right to eternally call dibs on that character or actor. Right now both of us are in petitioning for Jensen Ackles, James McAvoy or Mr. Darcy.

4. We fight... a lot. Some pretty big, screaming cats fights and other somewhat pathetic heated discussions. But we always get over it, and when we do, it's like nothing ever happened.

I just spent close to a week with Maddie at her apartment, so you can only imagine the fighting. There was something about my poor driving, her need to control everything, my soda addiction... the list goes on for a few more, but I left two days ago and I already miss Ms. Bossy... (pls don't kill me, Mad).

5. You can always depend on her because she has your back, even if you're in the wrong.

What more can I say about this one except for that it's probably the most important, and I'm so thankful to her.