Over my 22 years of life, I have definitely come to realize how lucky I have been and how many times God blessed me with some of the most amazing people in my life. The best people that will ever be in your life are your family members, especially your siblings. I was lucky enough to grow up in this world with not one, not two, but four sisters. They taught me things that I never would have learned without them. They are my biggest critics, but also my biggest supporters. There are no better companions in this world than your siblings, and I thank God everyday for giving me four. Your relationship with your sisters may change over time, but each and every stage had great significance on the person you have become today.

It all starts when you are younger, let's say six years old. Your older sisters are the ones you look up to. They are your first role models and you always dream of growing up to be just like them because in your eyes, everything they do is amazing. They have the coolest friends, the best clothes, and perfect makeup. Older sisters give you something to aspire to be when you grow up, and that is so important to have as a young girl. On the other hand, younger sisters at this age are there for you to develop "leadership skills", or boss around. They were the only people in your family that you were older than, so you definitely used that to your advantage. You could tell her what to do, do her hair and makeup, and she would follow you wherever you went. In her eyes, she looked up to you and thought you were the coolest person she has ever met, so she took all of your bossing around and telling her what to do all the time because she wanted to be just like you. At the time you don't even know how much of an influence you are on her life, and I also didn't realize until I was older how much of an impact she had made on mine.

Then you grew up a little and went to middle school. Your sisters were there to protect you from all the mean girls at school. They told you that your skirt was too short or that your bubble top was SO last year, and you appreciated them saving you from social embarrassment. Your sisters were there to tell you that you are too young to have a boyfriend, but then would comfort you and cheer you up if one of those boys "broke your heart." You witnessed their mistakes and did your best to learn from them, but also saw all of their accomplishments and worked that much harder to do the same thing. They were your teachers, your motivators, your mentors. Your younger sister may have not been the one you looked up to at this point in your life, but she was always there to hang out with when you needed her. She was always there to tell you that you were good enough, smart enough, pretty enough. She was your biggest support system because she looked up to you more than you will ever know.

Next came high school. Throughout all of your dances, games, classes, activities, awards, etc., your sisters were there. They were there to cheer you on and tell you how proud of you they were. They made you feel so special for doing things that they never had the chance to do. They were the ones who could truly know if that boy you brought home for dinner was bad news because they were better judges of characters than you were. They were the ones that drove you everywhere before you had your license, and even though they may have hated it, you cherished the time that you got to spend with them. High school was the time where your life started to get a little busier and you had a lot more friends, so you didn't get to hang out with your sisters as much. The time you did have together, however, was some of your best memories that you will ever have. High school was also the time where your relationship didn't seem the strongest. Fights over wearing each other's clothes happened daily and you never wanted them coming around your friends because they were definitely going to embarrass you. Sisters need this though in order to someday truly appreciate the relationships they had.

And then you grow up even more. Whether you went to college, moved away, had kids, or traveled the world, this time of your life is when you finally realize how great it is to have your sisters.

My sisters have become my best friends, no matter how far away they are. They were there for my successes, my heartbreaks, my mistakes, and everything in between. I cherish the time that we get to have together because I know that it is rare. I have more in common now that I am in similar stages in my life, so chatting with them is easy and we never run out of things to talk about. Whether we talk once a month or once a day, we all know that your relationship is still strong and won't ever change.

Sisters will always be there for you for the rest of your life, and there is no friendship in the world that can guarantee that kind of commitment.