I am 15 and have two older sisters who are 31 and 27. When people find such a big gap between us, they always say, “it must be so nice to have older sisters!” or they say, “You are so lucky! You must get so much love!” To them, I always confidently respond, “yes! I love that I have older sisters! I love them so much!” Yes, they taught me how to love and how to be loved.

I love my two older sisters. They are my best friends, my guardians, and my favorite people. They have always given me so much love. Sometimes that love looks very gentle, and sometimes that love can be speaking harsh truth to me. In either form, their love has always constructed me and built me up. Going out to grab late night snacks has always been our thing. My oldest sister would be the one driving and paying for the snacks, and my other sister and I would always be the ones exclaiming, “thank you!” Other times, we would have serious discussions where we talk about our worries. I was usually the one talking about my feelings and my current worries, and my sisters would usually be the ones giving me advice and cheering me up.

I thought my sisters would always be next to me forever, but the reality is that is not the case. Not too long ago, my oldest sister got married in South Korea and just yesterday, my other sister moved to San Francisco. We have always been in LA together, but now that they are no longer here living with me I feel as if two parts of myself have suddenly disappeared. Even though I do feel a bit lonely, I am still very happy for both of them.
My oldest sister has been living in Korea by herself because of her career and it has been a tough road for her. She didn’t have any friends or family nearby, and just living in a different country with a culture she wasn’t used to was difficult for her to adjust to. But after meeting her current husband, she has become so much happier in general. Now she has someone she can talk to and lean on. When I saw her walking down the aisle, I felt tears falling down. They were bittersweet tears. I felt so happy for my sister but at the same time I knew that she was walking towards a new start with a new family that I wasn’t a part of. Even though I knew she still really loved me, I knew we won’t be able to live together like we have in the past.

My other sister moved to San Francisco because she got accepted into law school! I am also really happy for her because I have watched her study so hard and push through her endeavors. For the last two years, she has been studying nonstop and I have always seen her timing herself and taking all sorts of practice tests. I’m still so proud of her for getting into law school, but I am also a bit sad because she is also not living with me anymore. More than my sadness though, my happiness is greater because I know she will be walking closer to her dreams in San Francisco.

Both of my sisters are not next to me physically, and I’m currently in my room alone, but I know that they will always be here for me. They will always be ready to pick up my calls and respond to my texts. They will still be the sisters that I have always loved and will continue to love. Even as I was brainstorming to write for this article, I could not help myself from writing about my sisters because I am so proud of them and love them so dearly. I miss them at this very moment and I cannot imagine my life without them, my family.

Roanne Jubee Lee

North Hollywood High School / 10th grade

<Roanne Jubee Lee/ North Hollywood High School / 10th gr>