To My Sisters in High School

Leaving for school this year is super exciting, don’t get me wrong. I am ecstatic to get back to my friends and my freedom.

Yet, it is bittersweet because this year, I’m leaving my two sisters in high school. One is going to be a sophomore. The other is starting her freshman year.

In college, it is easy to look back and realize how flawed the system of cliques and popularity is. You may even think you navigated the troubled waters pretty well, considering all the obstacles that came your way.

Yet, as a 14-year old, it is another story and you can easily become swept away in the drama.

I never had the older sister to pester with questions. I kept myself guessing until I found new friends to confide in and older ones to learn from.

My younger sisters have it much easier. They saw my awkward freshman moments and watched as I learned about myself along the way. They witnessed my goofs and at the same time were blissfully ignorant to the details because they were so much younger than me.

Now as the age gap decreases, my sisters and I are getting much closer. They know they can come to me with even the smallest questions.

But being at Illinois and being at home are two different things. So while I am not home for you to bother in person, remember I am always there for you.

You have made it through eight years of Dr. Seuss, discovering the neighborhood hot spots and your first crushes. Congrats. But the tough stuff is just getting started.

In those four years, you will learn how to handle people and, more importantly, yourself. High school is about beginning to find your place. You have more freedom and more responsibility.

You will see new things and face new challenges. From the day you get to school thinking you are wearing the wrong clothes to the day you first see kids smoking a joint, it is four years filled with hundreds of teenagers trying to figure out who the hell they are.

It is complicated and messy. Friends may come and go. Or they might stay and you will be friends for life. There are so many possibilities.

And while every stereotypical movie may come to mind, keep in mind that those are only partly true. The movies rarely get it all right. So do not stress over the little things that you may think matter. That is the biggest thing I can tell you.

Do not let high school change you for the worse; gradually evolve with yourself. That’s not saying it is okay to remain the same, because you will change. But make sure it’s for you and not for the people you are trying to impress. There will be times where you are forced to choose and try to remember what’s best for you. You’ll make mistakes; learn from them.

You are both fantastic people. Don’t lose that to who you think you should be based off other’s standards.