The year my sister turned 9

Nine.

I was in the fourth grade, moved to another town, and my sister was just born. A lot happened to me when I was nine. It was a year that had a major impact on myself as a little girl. When I was nine I meet a girl named Gabby who has been my friend ever since. I consider her a lifelong friend and now as we battle the friends separated by going to different colleges I feel that we've both done well with staying in contact, and considering how busy we both are I couldn't ask for more.

Nine.

It was the year I finally got a sister. Yes! I wasn't outnumbered anymore! The teams were now evened. I remember the day my sister was born like it was yesterday. I waved goodbye to my Mom as she was wheeled into the hospital for her scheduled C-section (another thing my sister and I have in common). My grandma took me to school and she said when she picked me up we would go and see my sister. When I saw her I knew I wanted to be there for her. I wanted to be the big sister that she would always want to be with. Sadly as the years went on I forgot that promise I made to her. I went through teenage years and was at a place when being around my family seemed painful! Teenage angst I tell ya!

Nine.

Now came the time that my sister turned nine. The golden number year that we have been together. She's nine and I was nine when she was born, maybe it's stupid but I think it's just cool. Recently my mother shared an article she read about how important the year nine is for girls in today's world. This is the age where they build up confidence and self-assurance. They need role models in their lives that are respectful and have a good mindset. That got me to thinking me complaining about my body and always been obsessing sometimes with looking good might not result well in my sister as she grows up. I don't want my sister to have to deal with the insecurities and issues I had to when I got older.

Nine.

It's been a few months since my sister has turned nine and I have resolved to do something about it. I am going to build her up in anyway that I can. By telling her she looks beautiful today. That she can do anything she puts her mind too. Some things I've done is join my community college's track team call me crazy. Maybe I'm also just trying to start a legacy by being the slowest distance runner in college track history but I want my sister to see that I started something and didn't quit.

Nine.

I'm also pushing myself to get out of college to transfer to a four year by taking 20 units and diving into getting a 4.0 GPA. The year my sister turned nine is the time that she also changed me. She challenged me without even knowing. She's still nine and I want to be something she can be proud to have. I don't want to be distant from her because I want her to be able to come to me if she needs anything or just wants to talk.

Lately we've been watching a show that she loves and that in itself has bonded us. Now I'm not gonna say our relationship is perfect. We're sisters, we fight, it happens. But I praise God for the sister that He gave me and the responsibility that He believed that I could handle. I also want to be a Godly woman for my sister to watch and inspire her to want to have a personal relationship with God as she grows up.

I still have about nine months until this nine year is over for her so I'm praying God leads me to make the right choices and to be the best older sister I can be. And nine years from now who knows what we'll be like but I can't wait to be there and look back on all that we did since then.

XOXO,
Taylor