Sophia Week 9: All Grown Up

     On the car ride home today, we were talking about my sister’s upcoming Bat Mitzvah, which is happening this Saturday. I know her service has been in the works for months on end, but I still find it surprising to think about her as a 12-year-old 7th grader. I remember when she was first born, with this memory being one of the earliest I can recall. I was so excited to be a big sister, especially since I was getting a younger sister, essentially a mini-me. She was the cutest and chubbiest toddler to walk planet earth, and most importantly, one who looked up to me. She found everything I did funny and followed me around like it was her job. We did everything together, and due to her young age, pretty much everything we did was something I wanted to do and she was just there to tag along. After all, she idolized me. When we were younger we got along spectacularly, almost never arguing at all. Eventually, though, Rylee started to grow and become more independent. If I wanted to play Barbies and she didn’t, she would let me know, and as a firstborn who was never used to rejection, this came as a shock to me. This led to arguments, mostly about what to play, what to watch on tv, or what to eat for dinner.

    As we both started getting older, the arguments started to become more harsh and frequent. I definitely won’t be the first or last to admit that a moody teenage daughter and a hot-headed child tend to fight a lot. Sometimes these fights would end in screaming at each other, words we regretted, or a lack of desire to communicate with each other furthermore. We always made up at the end of the day, though, as I believe it’s important to never go to sleep mad at your loved ones because you never know what the next day might bring. Now that she’s approaching teenagehood, while we still tend to fight, a lot, we get along much better. We have so many inside jokes, common interests, and memories to reminisce on that always make us laugh until we cry. We give each other looks when judging others, or sometimes each other, and know exactly what the other one means. Even if we know that the other’s in the wrong, we stand up for each other because that’s what sisterhood is all about, making the most of a built-in bond. I’ve also realized that while she’ll never admit it, Rylee looks up to me in a sense. Although she’d go to her grave denying it, there’s a part of her that is still like the younger chubby toddler who seeks her sister’s support and encouragement. I always try to be the best sister I can be, even if sometimes I want to kick her off the face of planet earth. That’s simply because I love her, and the bond I have with Rylee is a bond I cherish deeply. One that I have cherished for all 12 years, 5 months, and 11 days of her life.