My little sister Kaytlin graduates from high school this week…she doesn’t seem old enough, but she keeps reminding me that she is 18. I left home when she was 11 years old and a part of me has a hard time believing I’ve been gone that long, and that she’s had time to grow up!

I was probably the meanest older sister, and I’m not sure why. We used to share a room and we had bunk beds. My mom would ask me to clean our room and frustrated with the “child” that I had to share a room with, I would pick up all my things, and then everything else I would throw on her bed the lower bunk. No joke there were mounds of toys, clothes, books, blankets, you name it and it was thrown on her bed. My poor sister wouldn’t have any sleeping room. Every night it would all be shoved as hard as possible to make room for her little body in the bed. Sometime that stuff would stay on there for a week and maybe even more before it was eventually cleaned by my mom, only to be destroyed two days later when I cleaned the room again! Who does that to their younger sister!!

I also took time when she was little to play school with her. I took it upon myself to teach her her letters and sounds. And I would get so frustrated when she didn’t get it. As if every 4 year old knows how to read! I thought she had it in her, so I would push and push and push before I became so upset I’d just quit. I probably told her she was stupid, I don’t remember. Needless to say I did some growing up! Once we didn’t share a room it was a little better, and once I moved away from home our relationship greatly improved. I’m sure I still push her buttons, but that’s just part of who I am, it has nothing to do with age, but possibly maturity!!

Its fun now that we’re both older and we get a long a lot better. It’s amazing what time/maturity can do for relationships. I’m excited for her to move on and experience new and exciting things as she goes to college and shapes who she wants to become. A step we all take at one time or another.