"I can't keep calm, I miss my sister"

        I have a sister who is less than 2 years younger than me. When I was growing up, there weren't very many things I did without her. We shared a room, shared clothes, shared a bed, and did everything together. Wherever she went, I went, whatever I did, she did. She’s the friend that was with me every day. Because of this, I'm so used to having my best friend with me at all times.

Now that we're older, I'm at college, she's still in high school, and things have changed. I've had a bittersweet awakening of not always having her by my side. It's mostly been bitter, because every day I realize how much I miss her. But it's also sweet, because every day I realize how much I love her and how extremely blessed I was to grow up with her and have an unwavering best friend by my side all the time.

      I remember running down the hallway with my sister, sneaking around because we were supposed to be in bed. Then we would hear our mom or dad moving around in the living room, so we would sprint back down the hallway, jump in our beds, and act like we were sleeping. When the coast was clear, we sat up, looked at each other, and just busted out laughing as quietly as we could.

I remember playing countless games of house pretending to be secret agents or doctors or anything we could think of.
      I remember we would go outside and jump on the trampoline for hours straight sometimes.
      I remember coming up with crazy ideas like making forts out of mud, trying to tip the swing set over, having races with all our cats, or going fishing in the canal down the road.
      I remember fighting and fighting sometimes until we were both crying but then after a little while apart, we always forgave each other. And of course there were also those times when we would laugh and laugh until we were both crying.

One of my all-time favorite pastimes with my sister is the many countless hours we would stay up late talking about life and everything that comes with it. Even if we had to wake up early for school, there were always those nights when it seemed more important for us to share our thoughts and feelings with each other than actually go to bed. I wouldn't trade these memories for absolutely anything.
      I cannot imagine growing up without my sister. I refuse to even try. Of course we fought and screamed at each other over the weirdest things sometimes, but there was never a time when I didn't wish I had a sister. I don't think anyone in this world knows me better than she does. Without a doubt, she is always there for me.
      It doesn't matter if something comes between us.... We'll work it out, we always do. And that's the beauty of it. No matter how badly I mess up, she'll always come back around and forgive me.

      Now I’m not saying all this to brag about how awesome my sister is (although that is part of it), but I think it’s really important to remember that we aren’t supposed to live this life alone. We need community, we need family, and we need relationships. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says,

“Two people can accomplish more than twice as much as one; they get a better return for their labor. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble.”

        Although we always have the Spirit with us, God wants us to have friends and someone that is always going to be there to hold you accountable and pick you up when you need it. 

         I just really lucked out, and that person happens to be my sister. I think sometimes it goes without saying that we love and appreciate the friends that we have, but it is always a nice gesture to reach out and let that person or your friends know how thankful you are to have them around.

  So to my dear sister,

Kristen, I am so proud to call you my sister. If you could see yourself through my eyes, you'd see an incredibly beautiful and talented young woman who has so much strength. You would see someone who always makes everyone around her laugh and smile. You would see that you are hands down the best friend I have ever had. I don't mean to get all sentimental on you, Sis, but there's just no way you can grasp how much I care for you and miss you already. Thank you for loving me for me and for always being there to lift me up when I fall and give me a hand when I need it. I love you so much. -Brooklyn