My sister, my best friend. From the minute she was welcomed to the world, our friendship and bond would sprout from the earth, growing bigger and more beautiful each day. We’d run into our boulders and steep mountains, but we knew that life was meant to be conquered together.
I vaguely remember having my sister sit on my tiny almost two year old body and bite my thumb. Who knew that little sisters could be painful! I remember the day I told her that regular chairs served the same function as rocking chairs and this caused my sister to crack her head open on our fireplace, oops. I remember the year at Halloween when we dressed up as a pair of princesses from our favorite Barbie movie and pranced around our living room singing with sheer joy. I remember playing with dolls and stuffed animals and pretending to be fairies and different animals for hours and hours in our backyard and really just anywhere we traveled.
Together we discovered that hair doesn’t grow back on Barbies and that gum doesn’t make a good headband and that a bottle of Coke makes a good explosion if it’s shaken up enough. We’ve learned that tables make good hiding spots from heel-nipping dogs and that I’m a good hairstylist when it comes to chopping off bangs. We’ve seen that tennis rackets can cause major damage to the face and that becoming good at roadtripping is crucial if eight-hour car trips come as a perquisite of being in the Horvath family.
Allyson and I learned to treasure our time together when I moved to a new school as a high school freshman. We learned to be thankful for our health and good fortune when I hurt my ankle and couldn’t play tennis for almost two years. Allyson and I learned to fearlessly navigate the rough waters of high school and life together. We learned that being each other’s best friend is the most wondrous part of our lives.
Sometimes, people ask my sister and me how is it possible that we get along so well. They share stories of how they tease and fight with their siblings, and even hate them. Some people yearn to be away from their brothers or sisters and some wish they were not related. It should never be this way. I tell people that it takes time. It takes time to get to know our brothers and sisters. Siblings should support, love, and care for each other. They act as the cheerleader, the coach, the tutor, the Devil’s advocate, and one of the closest people a person knows in life.
Regardless of where I go and what I do in life, my sister will always be with me. She may not always be right beside me or just down the hall, but she’ll be in my heart. Her goofiness and curiosity and outgoing personality have left a permanent mark on me like the mark we inscribed on the giant peach tree in my grandpa’s backyard. We will forever be tennis doubles partners, dish-washing partners, traveling companions, video directors, best friends, and most importantly sisters.
