An Open Letter To My Younger Siblings | The Odyssey Online
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Relationships

An Open Letter To My Younger Siblings

For Maddie and Connor, with love.

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An Open Letter To My Younger Siblings
Emily DeJong (myself)

I've been a big sister for 18 & 1/2 years now, and I cannot possibly imagine life without my younger siblings. Like any normal sibling relationship, my siblings and I have had our moments -- yelling matches, fighting over clothes and toys, among other disputes -- but I wouldn't trade even the less-than-stellar moments we've shared for anything in this world.

I've already gone through one school year away from them, and not too many things changed. This year, though, as my younger brother begins his senior year and my baby sister starts her high school journey (I'm not sure how or when that happened -- it seems like she started kindergarten yesterday), I feel particularly strongly about letting them know how much I love them --in the cheesiest, most big-sister way possible.

Dearest (little) siblings,

If you didn't already know, I adore you. You guys are the best friends I will never lose, and lifelong companions through thick and thin. Though we've definitely had our bad days, I couldn't possibly imagine life without you. You guys drive me crazy; you push my buttons and test my patience in ways I didn't know were possible -- but you make me stronger because of it.

I am so proud of you. You work incredibly hard, and push yourselves to be the best you can possibly be. None of your work will ever go unnoticed while I'm around, and I'll always be one of your biggest fans (Mom and Dad kinda have a trump card, but it's still pretty darn close to the same for me). I hope you guys realize your strengths and always remember that you can pretty much do anything you put your mind to.

I will always be there if you need me. I don't expect you to be constantly keeping me updated on the little things, but please know that I will always be here to listen to your joys as well as your concerns whenever you need me. I'm only a phone call away. OK... maybe a couple hours of distance, too, but I at least promise to pick up the phone when you call.

If nothing else, I want you guys to know that I love you. Being the oldest can be scary sometimes, especially being the first one to go through major life changes like moving out and going to college, but I hope that you can always look to me for advice and support as you start going through the same things. That is the biggest blessing of being an older sibling in general -- being able to watch you guys grow and being able to help you through portions of that process is the best part of my job as your older sibling. You are irreplaceable, and you make me a better person by making me want to set a good example for your life through my actions.

I love you both so much, and I hope you guys tolerate the corniness in this letter just enough to appreciate my words.

--Your corny, dorky oldest sibling.

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