Growing up being the youngest sibling can be tough, but honestly, what would I do without you as my older sister? Through heartbreaks, difficult decisions, and even math tutoring, you’ve always been there to help, even if I didn’t want your assistance. Sometimes it’s difficult to appreciate what all you’ve done for me, but having an older sibling may have been what shaped me to be the person I am. So thank you, thank you for being there for me.

Thank you for being the experiment child. As the first kid our parents had, there was still a lot about raising a child they had to learn. Thank you for being the first one to bump your head and go to the hospital, thank you for being the first one to be grounded, and thank you for being the first one to go to college. And most of all, thank you for teaching our parents how to raise children before they had me.

Thank you for letting me follow you around like a lost puppy for so long. Thanks for letting me copy your favorite movies, your music, and even your outfit choices. I know it angered you, but you dealt with my copycat phase anyway, and even embraced it at times. On that, thank you for going through the awkward teenage stage before me, so I could skip that phase of my life and go straight from being the kid who copied you to acting like a young adult.

Thank you for helping me with my schoolwork. I know I wasn’t always the best listener, but you dealt with me. Even when you were preparing for the ACT and again when you were hours away at college, you still helped work out problems for me and graded my work. I know it must be tough, making time to help me for something as annoying as schoolwork, but you still do it anyway.

Thank you for helping me figure out my problems. Watching your own experiences and receiving advice from you has helped me a lot in my own predicaments. On top of that, thank you for letting me complain to you about everything from my grades and teachers, to the boy I’m dating, and to even our parents.

With that, thank you for coming to me when you have problems. Being the younger sister may mean I don’t have as much wisdom or as much experience as you, but you still come to me at times, whether for actual help or just to vent. This means a lot to me, and I appreciate knowing you value my opinion, and sometimes trust it more than others.

Most of all, thank you for still keeping in contact with me. We may be hours apart, but even while we’re in different states, you still find a way to talk to me, whether through a text, a funny Snapchat, a Facebook post, or a phone call. You know I’ll always answer. I may not have the best advice for your problems, or have any interesting news about my own life, but it’s good to hear from you, to hear that you’re alright, and to know you’re still interested in knowing I’m alright, and always will be.