As many of us may know, dealing with sisters can be exhausting. Whether you’re the youngest, oldest, or the “forsaken” middle child, we can all agree that living with sisters is no cake walk. I am the youngest of three girls. Lots of people try to tell me that I’m the lucky one and that the youngest has it easy, but they don’t see the brutalities that I bear every day. However, I will admit, the special moments I share with my sisters do compensate for the physical and mental pain they’ve caused me.  

     You might think I am exaggerating or overreacting, and that sisters really aren’t that bad. To that I say, you haven’t met Avery. Although she has given me countless bloody noses, one of the worst parts is trying to live up to her legacy. Avery is very intelligent and there is nothing I know that she doesn’t. Taking attendance on the first day is always followed by, “Oh, are you Avery’s sister?” This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but based on what people know about Avery, they have certain expectations for me. I come home and hear all about Avery’s challenging schoolwork and it frightens me that one day I’ll be in her shoes trying to complete the same work. Not only will I have to complete the same work, but I must make sure it meets the standards that Avery set in place in the prior years. I’m sure it was the same for Avery when Emily (my oldest, less troublesome sister) was finishing high school with a strong group of friends and a stable path in nursing ahead of her. That wouldn’t be easy for anyone to follow, but Avery was able to make a name for herself and I hope I can do the same. 

     Maybe you can relate to my situation or maybe you are the one paving the way for your younger sisters. Either way, I think we can agree that growing up with sisters is tough, yet also the greatest blessing. Having sisters is like having built in friends and I wouldn’t want to spend my days with anyone else. Sending Emily to college was not easy for me and I will be very sad to see Avery go away to college next year, but I’m eager to see what the future holds for me and my sisters.