a letter to my little sister

Sissy,

I can’t believe you graduated from college last weekend! Mostly because... that means I graduated from college five years ago – where did the time go? We must actually be growing up. (Whatever that means.)

Hey guess, what? I am so proud of you.

Not just because you earned your Bachelors degree – Woo Hoo! – but, because you followed your bliss to get to this point. You transferred schools as a junior, even though that meant you would probably be in school for an extra year. It meant living in a dorm 2,000 miles away from your comfortable room. It also meant you had to spend some holidays away from your immediate family.

It meant starting over in a lot of ways.

You took a chance on the unknown.

You were brave.

The past few years have been challenging on our relationship. We never stopped being sisters, but our friendship was put to the test in many ways. Our every day lives were very different; we led opposite schedules, not to mention that whole different time zone issue! But we always knew we could count on each other. And even during those weeks where we were busy, and not able to dedicate time to each other, just thinking about you and what you might be up to, made me smile, because I knew you were sharing your joy with those around you. 

I am so happy you found your tribe.

You and I have always seen the world through different lenses. From a young age, we marched to opposite beats of the same drum. And still, as adults, we are creating unique paths for ourselves. One of my favorite things, is watching you, as you grow up.... watching how you've carved your space in this world, and learned how to stand up for what you believe in. I know who you are- I've always known. And now I get to watch as you share YOU with the world.

Thank you for letting me cheer you on. 

People usually end this sort of thing with some advice, right? Well, all I know is, what works for me. So, my advice is to find what works for you. How? Journal, and read, and pray, and listen, then go out and try. Keep trying. Follow your intuition, practice self-care on the regular, and do your best to live one day at a time.

But, sister, I think you’re doing just fine, already.

Showing off our matching Mantra Bands.