Zoe Jordan

My sister and I at the Taylor Swift concert in June of 2023

Sisters are one of the most important bonds in a person’s life. To have a sister is to have someone who will always be by your side. A built-in best friend. They are there for the moments that are cherished the most, but they also see the parts of life nobody else sees. My sister is the one person I can truly see myself in. 

Sisters are so complicated yet so simple. Screaming and yelling could happen one night between two sisters, but the next morning, the sun rises, and they want to go grab Starbucks together. Although Avery, my sister, is five years older than me, we still have a better friendship than any of my current ones. Avery is my shoulder to cry on, but she’s also the first person I go to when anything happens in my life. One summer, Avery and I were not getting along at all. Every conversation turned into an argument, and every argument into not speaking to each other for the next day or sometimes longer. Later, I realized the fights did not come from a place of hate but more a place of fear. I realized that summer was the second-to-last summer I got to spend with her at home. This thought was always running through my mind, and eventually, that sadness that came with it turned into anger. I was angry that everything we had that was labeled our firsts was soon going to become our lasts. The first time having a sleepover in her room to the last time having a sleepover in her room. First time sharing a bedroom on a family vacation to the last time sharing a bedroom on a family vacation. First time watching her go off to college to the last time watching her go off to college. Sisters last forever, but the childhood that comes with it does not. 

Throughout my life, Avery has pushed me to keep going and do my best. Making her proud is a goal I have always had, and my greatest fear is her disappointment. She took on the role of another parent. When my mom and dad were not there, she was, and I could count on that. When I broke my arm, she was the person who carried me into the house and helped me get comfortable while we waited for my dad to get me to the hospital. She was the person who came into my room when I was sobbing uncontrollably about something. We laughed together, we cried together, we ate the entire pantry together, and we did everything together. Then college happened. All of those special sisterly moments now live as a memory inside my head. The appreciation I have for my older sister won’t compare to anything else in the world. When she came back home when we lived in the same house, I would say a quick hello and then we would both disappear into our rooms. Now when she comes home after I don’t see her for weeks at a time, I hug her, and I don’t want to leave her side because when I let go it is like she was never even there. 

Sisterhood is the best thing that can happen to a girl. Sisters always support each other, and even if they are not physically near, they are mentally always connected. I’m lucky enough to have Avery as my sister not only by blood but also by heart and soul. I could not imagine any other person in the world to take her place, she is me, and I am her.