Sisterhood is everywhere. Whether the women around you are blood related, friends, or strangers, women build sisterhood where ever we are.
I am the youngest sibling in my family. I have an older sister, named Morgan. She’s 21 years old, the most textbook Aquarius you could ever meet, and the easiest person to love. Growing up, my sister was my absolute best friend. I would dream about being as cool as she is. Morgan is such a tomboy. I found myself wishing I was as good as her at football, basketball, softball, practically any sport you could imagine; she was the best at it. She never let the stereotypes of what a girl should be get to her. She stayed authentic to her spirit no matter what that looked like. As I saw her doing the things she loved as a young child, it inspired me to do what I loved at that point in life. Makeup, nails, hair, making YouTube videos, etc. I realized that being “cool” didn’t have to look like what she was doing, and she was the one who taught me that was okay. As I’ve moved away to college, that learning experience has led to me to people I couldn’t do life without.
My sister and I were often mistaken as twins and by the way we acted, you would probably think the same thing. We were constantly together, even if we were getting into sister fights. Laughing with Morgan, having sleepovers and staying up all night talking about the most random, funny things, and experiencing being girls together is something that has shaped me into the woman I am today. We lost our mom in 2016 to breast cancer, and the only person I would allow in my room to sit with me was my sister. We laid in my bed and somehow even in the darkest time of our life, she still managed to make me laugh. She assured me that everything was going to be okay and that we were going to get through it together. She has always been good at that. I always feel safe with her because from the time I can remember, she protected me with everything she could. Her bravery inspires me daily. One of my best friends that JMU brought me lost her aunt to cancer in June. I immediately knew that being brave was something not only I would need to tap into to support Hailey, but that she would need to support her family and herself. I did my best to be there for her through such an unfamiliar time. I offered my support to her cousin as her mom had passed, and I was always reminded of my sister’s bravery every time I extended advice and love.
Morgan came into my room one night and we were just hanging out like usual. I could tell she was really anxious about something and when we started talking about it, tears streamed down her face. I was so confused what was happening because Morgan doesn’t usually cry. She told me she had to tell me something and it felt as though hours went by trying to figure out what was causing her to cry that she felt like she couldn’t tell me. As I reassured her nothing would ever change the way I viewed her, she told me she was gay. I remember saying, “That’s why you’re crying?!” I was so excited and intrigued about what her life was going to look like exploring this new chapter. I was in 8th grade at the time so me being me, I updated the calendar in my phone to “MCO” (Morgan coming out day) with a rainbow emoji. For reference, it’s still in my calendar. Two years after that, I came out as bisexual. She supported me through that journey and helped me dive deep into those parts of myself that felt too scary to confront. My junior year of high school, my sexuality was something that brought me great anxiety. I thought about the anxiety Morgan felt when she was struggling with her feelings. Once again, her bravery resonated deep in my core. These anxiety inducing feelings would be silenced every time I saw my sister proud of who she is. Through her masculine style, her smile when she is with her girlfriend, and the support and advocacy she gives the LGBTQ+ community, my sexuality became less of a point of fear and more of a point of freedom and happiness.
Through her dealing with the homophobia people projected onto her to finding her girlfriend, Fiona, I learned that being authentic to yourself is the most important thing you can do. The people who decide to stay by your side no matter how you present yourself and the challenges life throws at you are the ones who truly love you. My sister taught me that loving who you want to love is the best thing you can do for your heart. She helped me come to terms with my own sexuality and to own who I am! Talking to my sister, digging deep within myself, and finding the people at college who are proud to be them helped me understand that I absolutely love being a lesbian and I shouldn’t feel shameful for that. I can relate to the anxious parts of my sister that came with her sexuality and I can also relate to the parts of her that are free through who she loves. Morgan is my biggest supporter and that has been a constant and true statement since I came onto Earth.
As sisters do, we used to get into the worst fights, usually over something small like who gets to be player one on the Wii (I always lost). As we got older, we would argue over more serious things, like not getting to spend enough time with each other. My sister is two and a half years older than me, so her life was getting more serious and mine was just being a high school student. She began navigating her post graduation plans during Covid and struggled a lot with her mental health. My sister is undoubtedly one of the strongest people I have ever met. Though her struggles with mental health, another lesson taught to me by her was that it is okay to ask for help. It does not make you weak, but it makes you stronger. That is one of the most valuable lessons she has taught me and in her process, I don’t even think she realized how much she helped me learn that.
Morgan being an older sister was simply meant to be. There is no other person in this world that could have gotten me through the challenges life has thrown at me. She took her role as a big sister and made sure that she does the best she can do to be that for me every day. I moved away from our hometown and came to college in August of 2023. It was so weird not being able to go across the hall to my Morgan’s room just to say hi or sit in bed and watch TikTok’s together. FaceTiming and texting became our new normal, and to say it hasn’t been hard for both of us wouldn’t be true. Every time Morgan comes to see me is literally what gets me through each day. There is never enough time in the world to spend with her.
Morgan found her passion for teaching when I was a junior in high school. She started working with special needs kids and truly loves it with her entire heart. She is so amazing at what she does and knowing that she works such a difficult job but wouldn’t change it for the world is the definition of my sister. She is hands down the hardest working person I know. The job she works is not easy but she goes in every day to make a difference in her student’s lives. She also coaches basketball and is truly the best coach. Watching the dreams she had as a young child become her reality is something I have wished for her for my entire life. She is so incredibly deserving of everything good in this world.
A few weeks ago, my sister and her girlfriend came up to visit my girlfriend and I at our apartment, and I had made us a childhood dinner that we loved growing up. We were sitting on the couch eating and we both had pieces of bread to eat with our food. When we were little, we would put the noodles we were eating onto the bread and fold it up to make a sandwich. Fiona, my sister’s girlfriend, looked over at us and said, “That is so cute, you guys are eating it the exact same.” My sister started crying, which then made my eyes fill with tears. No matter how far we are or how long it has been since we have seen each other, my sister and I are mosaics of each other.
So, to my sister, thank you for teaching me all of these lessons. You have taught me so many more than what I could ever write about. Your love for me, your passion in being a big sister, and your comedy are only some of the things about you that have gotten me through my life so far. I hope you know how proud mom is of you. I love you so much, Morgan. You’re the best big sister I could have ever asked for.