There are many emotions when it comes to seniors graduating. For me, even though I am just a freshman in high school, this year has been a mix of it all. My older sister Bella, who is a senior, will be graduating this year. There are both benefits and drawbacks to having a senior sibling.
Some benefits of having a sister that is a senior is I get to expand my friendships that aren’t just freshmen. I am close with her friends too, so I get to be able to learn how to talk to people not my age. But the best part has been sports. Bella and I played volleyball together and went to state. I was extremely lucky to be able to be on varsity as a freshman, and I was lucky to do it with Bella on the team. She was a great leader and kept the team calm when we were losing. I had so much fun with her and would do anything to play with her again. As for track, we both do pole vault, and it’s sad to think about because this is my last season with her.
There are also disadvantages when being a younger sister. When Bella does well in school, like getting good grades or a good score on the ACT, it puts a lot of pressure on me to meet those expectations. When we work out, I am expected to do the same weight, but when it comes to sports, I have to remember I am just a freshman and can’t do everything. That’s when I get kind of hard on myself. It’s also hard because Bella has such a different schedule than me and I don’t get to see her as much as I’d like. When it comes to going to school, Bella and I don’t ride together because she is normally faster than me and my other sister, Gabi, when leaving the house. We’ve never had lunch together and the one class that I could’ve had with her, I didn’t get to because of scheduling conflicts. We talk in the hallways sometimes but not a lot because most of our paths to our classes don’t match up.
Even though I don’t get to hang out as much as I’d like, when she leaves, the effect she’ll have on us as a house will be like a puzzle missing a piece. When we go to eat breakfast or dinner together, there will be an empty chair that is going to just sit there without somebody occupying it. Gabi and I would not be who we are today without an older sister like Bella. She has taught us so much over the years like sticking up for ourselves and being nice to people. I always look up to her because she is great in academics and sports and is an amazing person.
I am happy that I got the chance to share this experience with my sisters, and I wish Bella could stay a little longer. I know that most people don’t get the chance to have this opportunity like I do, but I think that having senior friends and hanging around with upperclassmen can really impact anyone’s life in a positive way. Being a good influence and pushing others to be better is what the seniors are there for. Even after Bella graduates, I still hope to be like her, succeeding in school and sports.
Overall, I have had a great year with my sister, spending as much time with her as I can and just enjoying the moment together. Having inside jokes and laughing at anything and everything, the bond between a freshman and a senior like us will never break because of the sisterly love we have.
