1. You have a real-life Barbie doll. It is your duty and obligation as a big sister to dress her up for Sunday lunches with the family. Though it was difficult to do it at times because of running out of time to prep yourself up, you felt irresponsible if you didn’t. You also saw how bad your makeup skills were and how it improved through the years because of this.

2. You were automatically allowed to go out if you brought your little sister. If your parents were hesitant about allowing you to go out on a date or a hang out with your friends but you desperately needed to go, you had a prominent deal. You were allowed to go out, as long as you brought your little sister.

3. You gave her rules to follow. Whenever she did tag along with you, you gave her rules and she obediently followed. You knew you owed her for the rest of your life.

4. Your parents automatically bought you the latest toys or gadgets if you told them you would share it with your sister. And with that you grew up knowing that everything you owned was meant to be shared.

5. You had multiple closets. Yours and hers.

6. You had different personalities. If you were the big sister that loved makeup and boys, she was the one that loved school and volleyball. If you would order that coffee hot, she would order it in a Frappé. If you were broke, she had all the money she saved from her allowance. And you could borrow. Sometimes.

7. She was everything you’re not. Everything you were not was all that she was, and that made you feel like you were part of a whole. You looked up to her for all that she could do, and she did the same to you.

8. She gave you an idea of what it would be like if you were a mother. Growing up, you were in charge of looking after of your sister. You even saved half of the chocolate bar you were eating for her to have some. You helped her shopped for an outfit. Sometimes, she felt like she was your child.

9. A fun night was just the next door away. When you were bored, you just walked across the room, watched a movie with your sister or drove out for dinner. Your life-less night became a good one in an instant.

10. You had something to brag about without being hated for it. You posted all her achievements; even her pretty pictures on Facebook and no one hated you for it because she was your little sister.

11. You became stronger because of her. Whenever her classmates backstabbed her and she cried on the way home from school, oh, you know it’s on. Nobody messes with your little sister. Nobody.

12. You’re on a team. You’re on a team against her enemies. You’re on a team against your parents. You’re on a team saving up for something major like VIP tickets to a Rihanna concert. Sometimes you were even against each other, but you both knew you were over it in a minute.

13. You have someone who looks up to you. She is your #1 fan. From driving to what you wear, she wanted to be like you. She supported you in everything you wanted to do, silly or not silly.

14. She became your drinking buddy, even though she preferred Vodka and you preferred beer.

15. She was an addition to your group of friends. When your friends came over to your house, they would look for your sister or even hung out in her room. They consider her as part of your group, or better, they consider themselves a part of the sisterhood.

16. You grew up and realized no friendship gets stronger than this. She knows your likes and dislikes. She saw you naked. She was with you when you failed your test, when you passed it, got your first boyfriend, when you broke up with him, when your parents fought, when you were sick, when you graduated, when you lost your best friend, when you got your first job. You grew up and realized, she isn’t just your sister. She was your soul.

17. You are who you are because of your little sister. You are independent because you knew she was depending on you. You are strong because you know you had to be strong for her.