When I write these articles I often try and connect to the audience I am reaching out to. Sometimes I am more passionate about something more personal. This week I decided to write about something that has always stayed close with me, how inspiring my younger sister is to me.

My youngest sister Jill is 16 and has come such a long way from when she was a child. When she was younger, she was selectively mute. She was always so shy when it came to people and never felt the need to speak up, even if asked a question. Selective Mutism is an anxiety disorder that caused her to be too scared to talk to strangers, and it even affected how she communicated with the people she was most comfortable with. My parents were so worried for many years because as a toddler she was very talkative, but at 3 years old she stopped talking to my grandma. She was so quiet that she wouldn’t talk to any teachers in school, even if she had a question. She wouldn’t cry in public if she got hurt. She went to therapy sessions in order to help her overcome this obstacle facing her at such a young age. These sessions taught her different methods on how to open up and help her overcome her fear of speaking. My parents were concerned that she would not be able to overcome this anxiety and they worried that it would affect her growth in school and society. I use this story as an example because now she is one of the most confident and fun young girls I know. She has overcome so much in her 16 years and she continues to impress me every day.

She has a great number of new friends. She gives very poised, well-spoken speeches in school in front of her whole class. I say she is my biggest inspiration because she overcame such a huge obstacle at such a young age. Jillian went from a quiet, scared girl to someone who performs regularly at gymnastics meets in front of large groups of parents as well as her peers. She also excels in track and regularly places in the top three in her events. She has no problems speaking with adults. She has no problem talking on the phone to strangers. She also excels in school in which she recently received recognition for the high honor roll. I strive to often be like her because of how much drive and perseverance she has. She shows me that there are no limits in life, you have to work hard and you can overcome anything. Her overcoming this large obstacle, made her the person she is today and I admire her for it every day. She has become a strong, independent young girl who reaches new heights each day. She showed me at such a young age that even though there is a conflict in your life that you may not be able to get over right away, there is always something to help you get through it. And at the end of it, it will make you the person you are today. Thank you, Jill, for being my best friend and the biggest inspiration to me.