Dear Little Me,

As you have grown older, I have continually reminded you that times are not like they used to be. Maybe you believed me, maybe you didn’t. The world today is not like it was before - it has changed, and people have too. I want you to know that even though there are changes in life, you should not be afraid of what is to come. For starters, I want you to know that as a young girl, you may feel as though the world is constantly in attack mode against all females. For years, we have strived to prove that we are equal to every male out there. Things will get hard and sometimes you will feel like screaming, maybe even crying. However, that’s completely ok. The most important thing is to remember that it does get better and you will always have your older sister by your side. Little sis, you are the last of the bunch and you have it hard in a whole different way than I did. As the oldest, I had to learn from scratch. I made mistakes time and time again, and I would ask myself, “why me?" Yet, despite those upsetting feelings, I was not alone, and you are not alone either.

I know I had mom by my side, and she is the best person a girl could ever ask for. To be completely honest, though, there are some things that are just too uncomfortable to speak about with mom, and that’s where I come in. I know you might think that I will judge you, or maybe even lecture you too much, and I completely understand this worry. Let’s not forget, I was once your age. Nevertheless, I can assure you that I am definitely not trying to do that. The only reason I would ever do that is because I care so much about you, and I want you to learn from my mistakes. I had to learn many lessons the hard way and I wouldn’t want you to go through the same things I did. However, I still want you to grow, learn, and make your own mistakes. I know that no one on this planet would ever want to make a mistake, but hey, it’s part of life. If we don’t make mistakes, then we aren’t really living, don’t you think?

Now let’s talk about the people who enter our lives. As mom and dad always taught us, we must always be humble and respectful. Let’s be realistic, though. Sometimes we need to stand up for ourselves in the humblest way. We need to be strong enough to tell a person “no" or “goodbye." People are not always who they seem to be. There may be times when people give you negative vibes or expect you to fall. Some people are going to break your heart and be mean to you. It’ll be upsetting because that’s when you will realize that the world is not as colorful as you thought it was. Nonetheless, it's a lesson to learn from, and I can assure you that not everyone is like that. Always know that I will guide you and I will continue to urge you to embrace the strength you have within. Try not to lose the people who believe in you, and remember that your family will always be here to hold your hand through anything. I know I don’t say this enough, but I am so proud of you. You are truly the best gift that life has ever given me and I wouldn’t change who you are one bit. Although you are still growing, there may come a time when you don't need me anymore. Just know that I love you so much little sis, and I would like to thank you for being here by my side as well.