Sometimes, the thing you are looking for is right in front of you. This may sound cliché, but in my experience, it is one of the truest mantras I have ever heard. When I was younger, it was easy to assume that whoever was nicest to me at school automatically became my “best friend,” but as life has gone on, I eventually realized that my real best friend slept down the hall from me my entire life.
My sister Sophie and I have always been close, but being three years and a few months apart in age has pitted us against each other at times. After all, I will never forget how she told my second-grade crush that I liked him. However, aside from the normal sibling bickering, I knew she was a great sister. She helped me with homework, hung out with me and at the end of the day, was the only person I could turn to about family issues.
In sixth grade, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, our relationship grew to a new level. Being resigned to our house for the foreseeable future led us to bond with each other in a way we never had before. We had finally reached an age where we understood the same things about the world, and our stages of life finally overlapped. It was during this time that we truly began to connect over books, television and everything in between. I could confide in her about my deepest thoughts, and she trusted me enough to do the same. I learned a lot about myself and who I wanted to be during this time, and it would not have been possible without her guidance. While my other friends often suggested simple solutions to my thoughts, my sister shared her own experiences and listened to me in a way unlike others. It was at this point that I finally saw my sister in a different light and recognized that she had this whole life separate from being my big sister, where she was the person dealing with what life threw at her, rather than supporting those around her.
In my freshman year of high school, my sister moved away for college. Initially, it was extremely difficult to manage without her words of support. Yet, I quickly realized I had the opportunity to support her during this new phase of her life, even if it was mostly through FaceTime and short visits, which made us both realize how grateful we are for one another. Although we did not see each other daily, the time apart made us appreciate our relationship more and simultaneously taught us how to be more independent. I have learned to love my sister the same way we latched onto each other back in 2020, and this time, we are not forced to be each other’s first choice of interaction. Instead, I cherish our quick phone calls when I get out of school, and she is on her way to hang out with her friends. I enjoy hearing about her college life and soon, what her life will be like in New York City, where she is moving to in August. I offer her words of advice just as she has done for me, and we root for each other’s success. As 2026 starts new chapters for us – for me, beginning college, and for her, starting her career in New York – I am reminded of how our relationship has evolved over the years.
Ultimately, it has not been our blood that has brought us together, but rather our active decision to show up for one another, and that has been the greatest gift beside me all along.
