Essay 12

Maddy Neff

Mr. Salsich

English 9

January 13, 2010

Sisters:

An Essay about Someone Important In My Life

My life would be drastically different without my sister Gretchen. She is my best friend, and the one person who always loves me, even if I am being an annoying little sister. I can be myself around her, and I never worry about being judged or looking stupid. She makes me happy and boosts my confidence like no one else can.

My sister is my foundation. I grew up trying to be like her in every way. She is my older sister by five years, and when I was little, she was the coolest person in existence. I copied everything she did: the way she talked, her habits, her likes and dislikes, even her emotions. The highlight of my week was when Gretchen let me play with her toys, especially her miniature wooden horse barn that had little bales of hay and miniscule carrots for the plastic horses. Of course, this time was probably the most irritating for Gretchen. I was not a very tidy toddler, especially when it came to my sister's belongings.

Now that I am older, Gretchen doesn't influence my life quite so much, but I still ask her for advice, and she is my role model. I ask her for help with school, friends, family, everything. If I ever need help drawing something, I run to Gretchen and she cures my artist's block. Whenever I feel confused or upset, I just tell Gretchen, and she will listen intently while I rant about whatever is bothering me. She always knows what to say to make me smile and look on the bright side. Gretchen goes to art school, and she is a passionate painter. I admire the determination and hours of meticulous work that brought Gretchen to her place today, and I am trying to develop these qualities in myself. When the time comes for me to find my path after high school, I hope to know myself as well as Gretchen does, so that I can find my place, and be as happy in what I choose to do as Gretchen is being an artist.

Gretchen is also very important to me because she is my best friend, and I give her all my trust. We understand each other. We can spend hours laughing in hysterics about something that might seem dumb or boring to someone else. I never have to worry when I am with Gretchen because we love each other so much, and I know that she would never be cruel towards me. It is so nice to have someone around who loves me for being myself. I love spending time with Gretchen because I always end up smiling, even if I am having an awful day. We have many silly inside jokes that we can laugh about. We have inside jokes about the most unusual things: pickup trucks and socks and British comedy shows, to name a few. and we can entertain ourselves to no end by drawing monsters or dinosaurs on a scrap of paper. When I am with my sister, I feel like nothing can go wrong.

Gretchen and I also help each other to be more tolerant. When Gretchen comes home for the holidays, she shares my bedroom with me. I used to get very upset when Gretchen threw all her clothes and trash and shoes across the floor of my room, but I have learned to be more accepting of her messy habits, and I no longer screech and complain when she makes my room look like an explosion has just occurred. She has learned to be more tolerant with me, too. Sometimes, siblings bicker. Gretchen and I were once like this, but now, we never argue. Gretchen has learned to be more patient with her younger sister, and whenever we have a disagreement, we can just take a breath, explode with laughter, and forget about it.

Gretchen is also important to me because she is my cheerleader. She supports me in everything I do. Even with her overwhelmingly busy schedule, she still finds time to talk to me and encourage me when I am feeling upset or tired. Whenever I talk to her, my confidence and cheerfulness gets a boost. She always lets me see that everything will be alright in the end, and when I am worried or confused, she knows what to do to calm me down and put me at ease.

I love my sister so much. Without her, I would be very unhappy and pessimistic. Gretchen is my role model; I try to live up to her great achievements as an artist, and to work as hard as she does. I cannot help but smile when she is around. I love her for her craziness, creativity, intelligence, and caring nature. Gretchen is my sister and my best friend, and I am so grateful that she is in my life.