Growth

People grow up in the blink of an eye. The cousin you haven’t seen for three summers is suddenly a head taller than you; your mom’s friend’s newborn is suddenly 3 years old and starts babbling at you; your sister is entering middle school, but you swear she was in fourth grade a second ago. These moments slip by, day by day, and without realizing it, the people in your life have almost become strangers. What do you mean my sister doesn’t want to wear cheetah print leggings anymore? What do you mean she wants jeans and a stark white t-shirt?
I’ve taken to baking in the last few years, and she has too. Even though being my little helper is too simple of a job for my over competent sister, she does help me sometimes, and I’m her sole consultant about culinary advice. This Sunday (the first week of November), she baked cookies by herself for the first time. While this may not seem momentous in other households, here’s one thing to note about our family: we don’t bake. We’ve never been a big I’m-going-to-use-the-oven family; rather, the oven is just another place to store pots and pans. 

I started baking in the eighth grade, and my sister’s starting now when she’s in seventh. I don’t know why baking is the thing that got to me, but the fact that my sister is growing more independent by the day hit me straight in the face. I can’t imagine what parents are feeling because I don’t know what to do if she doesn’t need me anymore. Okay, that’s a lie. I know I’m going to be fine, and I’ll continue my regular schedule…It’s just weird to be growing up. I hope that she’ll know she can count on me whenever she needs to and that I’ll always be her big sister. Always here: always a shoulder to lean on.

(P.S. Here’s a picture of her chocolate chip cookies! They’re to die for, and I’m not saying that because I'm heavily biased or anything...)