To my (not so) little sister,

In just a few short months, you will finally get your chance as I did a few years ago to walk across the stage and receive your high school diploma. After thirteen years of hard work, dedication, and determination, you can finally say you graduated high school. I know your high school experience was a lot more different than my own, and while we each treasured various moments in our own ways, I know you are going to come out of high school as a new woman.

As you make your decision of where you will be spending the next four years of your life, which some may say is one of the hardest decisions you'll ever have to make, I just want to tell you a few things. First of all, I wish there were words to describe the immense amount of pride I have in you. Watching the acceptance letters flow in and bragging to all of my friends about your accomplishments is a right of passage every older sister dreams of being able to do. My love and appreciation for you may not be evident at all times, but I promise you that not a day goes by that I don't think about the incredible young woman you've become—even after we spend 3 hours screaming about who stole whose clothes.

Secondly, I know you're in a rush in this final stretch, but please do everything in your willpower to cherish every last moment of your childhood. Before you know it, you're going to be packing all of your belongings into boxes and moving into a 2x2 dorm room, hours away from the comfort of your own home. These next four years of your life will be the best, and the most important, but don't forget to appreciate what came before them.

And lastly, please never forget that I'm not just your big sister, but I'm also your best friend. When times get tough, when exams seem like they're never going to end, when all you want to do is sleep in your own bed back home, know that I am always a call away. If I need to, I will drop everything I am doing and drive the five hours to be by your side. Part of the responsibility of being the older sister is to learn all of the hard lessons and teach you not to make the same mistakes I did. I will forever be your guide in life, holding your hand through every step you take, even if I'm hundreds of miles away.

Never forget how much I believe in you, in your strength, and in the incredible things you're destined to do.

With all my love,

Your big sister