There are so many things that we all wait for and long for. Although graduating tends to be the one that most students have, it isn’t mine. Instead, I waited for a sibling; for 17 years of my life, I had been an only child. I have spent most of those years hoping it would change. 

     It did. 

     My little sister was born on May 9, 2022, and that was the day that I realized that everything would soon revolve around this tiny human. 

Innocent, fragile, and beautiful. 

I have never experienced so much joy before my sister first smiled at me or held my hand. 

     So my last words as a journalist are dedicated to my sister, Julie Anne. There are 17 years between us, but I already know that we will be best friends. 

     Julie, I will be there for you, I will help guide you, and I will protect you. It gets scary in this world when no one around you seems to understand, and I promise you that I always will. 

     I used to think that I’d leave Maryland and move back to New Jersey, or go to college in some other state. But now, my priorities have changed, and it is in not just my best interest, but in yours, to stay close. It breaks my heart just leaving you to go to school when you reach out for me and cry as I walk through the door. You’re only 11 months old, but I feel like you already know how special our bond is and will be. 

     My future is my own, but you will always be a huge part of my future. I will watch you grow up, and I will continue to help you when life gets hard, or even when Mommy said no. No matter how big or small the issue is, I will be there. 

    My endless love for you grows stronger every day, and I can’t wait to see who you come to be. And you’ll be sassy and love books just like your sister, I’ll be making sure of it. Everyone says they see a lot of me in you already, and I can’t help but be proud of it. You are one of the best things in my life and I am so happy that after so many years, I got exactly what I wanted: A sibling, someone that will always be there to share your life with. 

     As I am graduating high school, you will be just over one year old. I have chosen to make this piece my first letter to you. Every year, I will write a letter to you so that when you’re old enough, you can understand just how much your sister loves you. 

     This might not be the typical high school sendoff, but it is all about the future. Learning and growing with and inspiring my little sister is a part of my future and I will always be proud of being a key component in my sister’s life. 

     This is a reminder that not everyone has the same goals or feelings, and that your time in high school or graduating isn’t the most important thing. 

     You have your own story and your own person. You might not even know that you are that person for someone else. But you can be. Or maybe you already are.

      I will be that person for my sister. 

     Welcome to the world, Julie: you have so much to learn, and I’ll be here to teach you.