Dear you,

I can't decide how to start this letter. Should I start off with a witty joke? A cheesy inspirational quote? A cheeky story from when we were younger? Or something sappy? You know which one I would choose without question, but this is something that requires me to vulnerable and dig a little deeper. I know you are graduating from college in seven weeks or so (who's counting?), and there are a few things that I haven't told you before or things I didn't say enough.

1. I'm freaking so proud of you.

Fair warning: it's going to get kind of sappy here. As your younger sister, I watched you struggle for a while until you found your niche, you found your "forever" friends, you found your boyfriend, but most importantly, you found yourself. You didn't let the setbacks or rough patches get in your way. Thank you for showing me to keep persevering through the storm to see the rainbow on the other side.

2. I love you.

I do, and this is one of those things I don't say enough. Sure, when we were younger, I had a funny way of showing it: stealing your clothes without asking and among other things. Even sometimes today, I have a hard time showing it. You have taught me so much from what colors flatters my figure to what a good work ethic looks like. You have always been there for me when I needed you most. Thank you for being my older, (sometimes) wiser sister.

3. Don't let the real world scare you from pursuing your dreams.

Listen to your younger sister here. You have talent. You have worth. You got this. I know that right now it seems so scary and paralyzing, but I promise you that this world needs to hear what you have to say. When you have those moments when you don't know if you can do this, call me up. I don't care if it's finals week or middle of the night. I will have your back by telling you to stop it because I have faith in you and your abilities and you will get through it.

4. But don't be afraid of going after something you really want.

I know you have a cautious soul. You have a tendency of not going after a dream and you have all these reasons why you shouldn't pursue it, but the underlying reason is you're scared. That's OK. It's OK to be scared. But it is what scares us the most that turns out changing us the most. If you want to go out to the west coast, do it. If you want travel abroad, do it. "Don't let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game," like they say in "A Cinderella Story."

5. I'll always be your number one fan.

I want to promise you this. I will always try my very best to be right there behind you (not literally, of course) supporting you and cheering you on from the sidelines. You've always have my back, and now I want to return the favor for you. You get a job out West, I'll support you from afar through Skype calls, weird Snapchats, and Facebook stickers. And hey, it'll give me an excuse to travel.

6. You are important to me.

You are my older sister. I'm your younger sister. Always. Being important: this usually goes without saying, but I felt the need to say it anyway.

I wish you the best of luck. I know you are strong, and you will get where you want to go. However long it takes, whatever it took to get to get there, it will be worth it. You're going places, Rachel. I know I've said this already, but it doesn't hurt to say it again: I love you and I love that I got stuck with you because we both know no one else could handle the constantly stealing of clothes and jewelry and merciless teasing.

Love always,

Melissa