I grew up surrounded by sisters, I had everything from a biological sister to step sisters and even a step-step sister. By the age of nine, I had five sisters split between my parents’ houses. My mom’s house, where I spent most of my time, was filled with girls coming and going. My four sisters and I, who lived there, would go back and forth between our different parents’ houses, with schedules that lined up so we could all be together a couple of times a week.
My mom’s house was a place filled with an atmosphere that ranged from screaming, crying and fighting to spending quality time together and playing games. It was a house filled with hand-me-down clothing, sequined dance costumes and iMovie creations. Knowing that my sisters were coming over for the weekend was an indescribable excitement to nine-year-old me.
Gaining three older sisters immediately gave me someone to look up to and aspire to be like. Watching them go through the different levels of education and phases of adolescence made me want to imitate everything they did. The music they listened to, the clothes they wore and the way they spoke were all things I wanted to do just like they did. I would do anything to have them think I was cool; whether it was memorizing the lyrics to their favorite songs or listening to the way they talked to their friends and using those words.
With my older sisters being such a major influence on me, decisions that I made due to them are major factors that are still very relevant in my life. Watching my older sisters perform at their dance recitals from backstage encouraged me to start taking dance more seriously and eventually try out for higher and more competitive levels. When my older sister was a sophomore and began talking to me about Community, I instantly knew that I would apply, and when I got in, I knew I should go.
As annoying as it was, I had someone who could share their experience with me, and give advice to make things so much easier; having someone there to answer my questions when I went into middle school or someone to wave at on my first day of high school are small things that made such a huge difference. As I get older, having someone to call when I’m stranded and need a ride or someone to talk to about the most recent drama in my life are things I’ve begun to rely on them for.
Watching my two younger sisters grow up feels like stepping into their shoes in a way. Knowing that everything I do has such a major impact on them feels like both a responsibility and a privilege.
As I get closer and closer to going off to college, I stand by and watch my older sister do the same. As she approaches her second semester of senior year, I am near the second semester of my sophomore year. Having firsthand experience with the highlights and lowlights of the senior year before I’m even a senior is an experience I’ll be forever grateful for. Watching the person that I share a dance studio, a house, and a school with graduate is such a specific and crazy feeling.
The older I get, the more I become aware of how lucky I am to be surrounded by people I know I can talk to. Knowing that I have at least five people in my life that I can constantly count on helps push me through my day. Being comfortable with someone to the point where you can get angry and fight with them, and still know your relationship will recover is a special amount of trust to have. Having sisters is something that I was privileged enough to grow up with and I will forever cherish my relationship with them.
