This past week was recruitment week for my college music fraternity, Sigma Alpha Iota (henceforth referred to as ΣAI). So in honor of that and how much I miss them, I decided to take a political break to talk about my sisters!

I joined ΣAI fall semester of my senior year of college. A bit late to join a group, I know, but a couple of my friends were part of the fraternity and had nothing but nice things to say so I figured why not check it out?

It was one of the best decisions I've made.

The women of ΣAI are some of the most talented, sweetest people I've ever met. I'd been nervous about joining the music fraternity because I had left a creative group my freshman year due to the comment "You know this is a creative group, right?" after I'd been part of the group for weeks before they found out I was a math major. But the sisters of ΣAI didn't care, studying math didn't make my love of music any less meaningful to them. That reaction cemented my desire to join them.

When I met my Big Sister, her Big Sister, and her Big Sister's other Little Sister as a little group, I felt an instant affection and connection to them that I hadn't felt with people in fifteen years, since I met my best friend Katie. Like I saw them and knew I was going to love them.

My Big Sister, Danielle, has this face and haircut that makes her look like a friendly sprite, about to take you on Disney movie-esque adventure. She is an absolute sweetheart and is one of the few people who gets why I love black olives. When I was preparing to join the sorority, my other friend groups were falling apart and taking advantage of me, I was skipping meals to do things for my friends and was very stressed about it all. She along with our sister Ann were so kind to me when they found me after I'd not eaten in about 24 hours and were the first people in a while to make me feel like I was a person not a machine as they made me get food and talk about what was going on that had me running around. Danielle and my other sisters kept doing that as other things got worse during the school year, making sure I was eating at least twice a day and telling me that yes, I deserved to eat. I don't know how I would've gotten through the year without Danielle doing that and ensuring that I felt loved.

Look at this precious person!

Danielle's Big Sister, Aimee, is also an absolutely wonderful human being that I have no idea how I became so lucky to have met. She is such a good listener and ready to defend your honor like a knight in shining armor, I love it. Like when I told her about a situation I was having trouble with, she gave me full permission to stay in the office as long as I may need which would turn out to be about four in the morning most nights and even offered an extraction plan if I found I needed it. It really helped to have someone be understanding of the situation trying to help me. I'm still a bit messed up but it would have been so much worse if she hadn't told me that I wasn't overreacting, it was a bad situation, and that she would try to help me out. She was President of our chapter during my first semester as a sister and she was such an effective leader with this kind but commanding demeanor. I hope to one day possess even half of her leadership skills. She's such an inspiring individual and I love her so much.

Aimee's other Little Sister, Lexie, is yet another wonderful human I love and adore. When she introduced herself as my "Aunt", I knew she was going to make me laugh a looooot. I was absolutely right. If she doesn't need to be professional at the time, she says and does some of the funniest things like quips or faces that have you rolling on the floor. It is just a joy to sit and listen to her talk about anything. I think she could make a description of paint drying sound fascinating. She has a way with her words that is so captivating. And she often uses that to help people work out solutions or to help them forget about their troubles so they laugh at a story she has. I love her and I feel blessed to know someone so kind and hilarious.

Aimee, Danielle, Lexie, and I: The Fam

These three were the first friends I called "fam" unironically because they felt so immediately like members of my family. That's not to say that I love my other sisters any less but I spent most of my time with these three. And even though I could write a paragraph for everyone, this would get longer and sappier than it already will be. (So if you're reading this and don't see your name, please know that I sincerely love you with all my heart and soul!!!)

My first full semester in the fraternity, our chapter doubled. As I was graduating, I was kindly granted a Little Sister even though you are usually supposed to have been in the fraternity a full semester first. I think I put my relationship with my Little Sister, Breanna, best in this birthday message:

I knew when I met Bre and heard she was considering joining SAI that I wanted to be her Big Sister. She was so funny and sweet (we had matching pink hair, it was fate). When I got to know her more I saw that she was even sweeter and funnier than I'd thought before. (We share a joke about euthanasia, you can't get much better than that!) In the middle of this collage is actually the result of a quiz I took made up by Bre and her friends before I could officially tell her that I was her Big Sister which said based on my answers I was most like her. I was so excited I sent that screen shot to my own Big Sister, who'd helped me get Bre as my Little Sister, and we squealed in excitement that it seemed this was a sister match made in heaven. She even had the same reaction I did to finding out who my Big Sister was! She's so precious! I am proud that I get to call her my Little Sister because she is so talented, brilliant, and beautiful.

Simply put, I adore this lovely lady.

With her came 14 other women including Victoria (Aimee's third Little Sister), Emily and Anna (Danielle's next two Little Sisters whom I jokingly refer to as twins), and Nora (Lexie's first Little Sister) who are as just as lovely and funny and wonderful as their Big Sisters. I love all of the women in my chapter even though I didn't get to know them well or very long.

There are times I wish I had joined sooner so I could've known them longer. That I wish I was still with them right now so I didn't have this ache in my chest that leaves me looking at bus tickets until four in the morning while I'm crying because I miss them so much. That I wish I wasn't so anxious all the time so I could tell them I love them and miss them and find each and every one of them amazing. Because they are amazing and deserve to hear that all the time. Every one of them is extremely talented, beautiful, kind, and awesome in their own ways.

Except at the same time I think I joined at exactly the right time. Danielle wouldn't have been my Big Sister if I'd joined earlier, I can't picture myself being in any MIT class than with the ever awesome Colleen and Rachael, and they all came into my life when I needed them the most. I also don't think having spent more time with them would make missing them any easier.

With this week being the week that more women start their journey to joining ΣAI, Breanna contacted me to say that she will have Little Sisters now! I am so excited that she will have her own Little Sisters to love as much as I love her. I hope to know and love them just like Aimee did with me. So to you, whom I don't know yet, I already love you so much, I can't wait to meet you, and you have a wonderful Big Sister to look up to and learn from as you take steps to join this fraternity.

And to all of my sisters: I love you, I miss you, and I'm going to keep looking for good bus tickets!