Being the oldest of three, or of any quantity, sounds like it is easy. In reality, being the oldest means a lot of responsibility and being a role model to the younger siblings. Being the oldest is difficult because being the oldest means you are the one to set a good example for your younger siblings.

I am not only the oldest, but I am also the first out of my siblings to graduate high school and to go away for college. My younger siblings are not far behind; soon enough they will get to experience graduation and the day they get their first of many acceptance letters from colleges or universities. For right now however, they are watching me, their older sister experience life on my own for the first time. I know that ever since I became a big sister I had to be the one to show my younger siblings how life would be. Whether its from protecting them from bullies or reminding them to study, I would be there for them through it all.

For one of my siblings, my younger sister, I was able to grow up with her. She is only two years apart from me, so I was able to go to school with her and tell her firsthand what it was like to be in the same positions she was in. All the mistakes that I made, I tried to help her avoid, so that whatever mistake I made she wouldn’t make again. It was difficult at times however, trying to be a good role model for her, because nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes, and I made a few of my own mistakes. The good thing was that since we were so close in age our sisterly bond was strong and still is to this day. It’s rewarding knowing that she has made it this far just by watching me.

My other sibling, however, is six years younger than me. He is my younger brother. Unfortunately, I was only able to watch him grow up to a certain point. He still has so much more schooling to go and I won’t be there to help him along the way because I am always away at school. He and I have a good relationship, but not the same as my sister and I. I wanted to be able to watch him grow as a student and a person, but it's hard when you have to follow your dreams. Even though I can’t watch him, I know my younger sister -- who has watched me grow -- can help him. The same way I was with my sister, is the same way she will be with my brother. My brother will be able to watch the mistakes my sister makes and learn from them.

The job of an older sister can sometimes be overwhelming. Knowing that people are counting on you to do a great job all the time is a tough thing to do. When the smallest mistake is made, it feels frustrating because you would want your younger siblings to be proud of all the good accomplishments you have done. I learned to realize that making mistakes is perfectly okay because you are showing your younger siblings that mistakes are part of life and even the most accomplished person makes them. I for one, am happy to be an older sister and am even more happy to make mistakes so that my siblings know even their older sister makes mistakes. This is one job that I love having to do every day.