I’ll say it before, I’ll say it again: when it comes to family I have a ton of non-blood relatives. Yet, my immediate family hits deep. Especially my sister. She’s one of my biggest role models in my entire life. A thoroughly strong, capable, independent young woman, Mary is able to take charge and be the big sister I always need her to be. Sure, initially as the first born she might have been a little pissed. However, over the years she’s truly embraced the role of being my sister, and I couldn’t imagine a world without her.
Our bond is unmatched. I get compliments from people all the time about how they wish they were as close with their sibling as my sister and I, which I truly appreciate. I cherish our relationship very much. We have the same humor, same heart, same experience. Though completely different people, we share many of the same core philosophies. We believe in workplace wellness, the importance of music and pop culture, and the value of friendship. My sister and I are two peas in a pod.
What better role model can you ask for than someone who always inspires you? A much better writer than I, Mary has published over a 1000 articles in a variety of publications and is not stopping. She’s the kind of writer that when you read her work, you read her voice with it. Every excellent writer needs a good voice and my sister is no different. Her articles speak for themselves. They reach an audience that grows with every passing article. Our creative flow is unmatched. I remember I would have conversations with her about her pitch meetings at the jobs see worked, and what was expected of each one. I can’t describe to you impossible it sounded. Mary always found a way, gracefully I might add. A true inspiration and master of the writing arts that, in my opinion, puts my entire family to shame.
How about the fact you’re a world traveler? You motivate me to travel more. My sister has seen so many sights across the world but there’s a metaphor in there. It’s to get out of your comfort zone. Try something new. Get up and do an activity you’ve never done before. That’s always how I’ve viewed it. I’ve seen her traveling as motivation.
She moved out right after college. She wrote freelance for years. She’s still finding herself, sure. But she always comes back better than she went in from her travel experiences. Mary’s never opposed to growth, and that to me is incredibly important. Because if we can’t grow from experiences, what’s the point of having them?
Mary you have watched over me, inspired me and been there for me literally my entire life. I don’t think it’s possible to have a better big sister and I couldn’t describe to you how proud I am of the individual you’ve become. I can’t wait to see how much of a star you are in the next few years. You’re going to get everything and more, for what’s coming to you. I’ll help you every step of the way because your happiness correlates to my happiness. So when I see you winning your Pulitzer Prize, I’ll still know, they haven’t seen anything yet.