Dear Nazshonnii,

You are my big sister... we both know that! But the world doesn’t see us as sisters. I guess they must see us as close friends. We know the difference though. We know were sisters ever though we don’t have the same DNA or skin color or parents, we know that our sisterhood is based on love (especially the kind of love that manifests in the form of worlds ugliest Snapchats). That's something no one else can see, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised when people don’t believe we're sisters.

(The first picture ever of us together, on your 18th birthday)

It’s kinda crazy to think we met just over four years ago, and now I can hardly go a day without talking to you. I guess at first you wern't my sister, or at least I did not know it yet. I kinda thought of you as a friend who would stay with the family from time to time, but for some crazy reason you came back from spending the summer on campus and that was it, you were my sister. You were 18, I was 15- you came home and told the family and I about you summer- the late nights studying, day trips to Lake George, your first trip to New York City. Though we had just known each other three moths at that point, we already had the sister telepathy down, I could already tell that you had something big to tell me once mom went up to bed.

I remember visiting you one of your first weekends at school your freshmen year (see picture above), we went to Hilale dinner (which I have been to exponentially more times at your school than mine), after we went to the Campus Center to watch We Are The Millers. After we sat in your dorm (1st floor Richmond, in a room twice the size you were supposed to have), thinking up reasons your international room mate never showed up to school. It was late on a Friday, down the hall were some of your friends shot gunning beers in their room, and the room next door was full of freshmen girls preparing to go out for their first weekend of college parties. I’m not sure if we were waiting for someone, but we were waiting in the hallways outside your room. One of your hall mates came out, and you introduced me as your sister. This girl did not believe it, but you wouldn’t have it. You practically trapped her in the hall until she said she believed we were sisters.

I don’t know if you ever think about when we first met, when you first became my big sister- but I do... almost everyday. Everyday I think about how I have the two best siblings I could ask for, a brother who will go to any lengths to protect my safety, and a sister who makes sure Im as safe as possible when I was to do something stupid. You two are my best friends, and I am proud to say I am excited to go visit you as often as I can. Right now you are away in Italy enjoying your last semester of college, and I do not know where you will land after college- but I do know you will land on your feet. You always do. As you look at the future I hope you remember how hard you worked through school... just because you are done school (for now) does not mean you have to be done working hard. I hope you see and remember all the amazing things you did and achieved through hard work, and continue in the same fashion. I want you to know that there will always be a place for you to live where ever I am, and above anything else, I want you to know that the roll of big sister in my life will always be filled by you and only you.

XOXO,
Sammi