To My Senior Sister (On Her 18th Birthday)

Before COVID-19 disrupted nearly every aspect of everyday life, you were supposed to embrace your final year of high school.

You were supposed to plan out skip day with your friends, supposed to stress about your prom dress fitting right, supposed to give up on school much too early and blame it on senioritis. You were supposed to be spending your 18th birthday surrounded by your closest friends.

And you really got the short end of the stick.

It goes without saying that minimizing the spread of the virus and the impact on hospitals nationwide is the priority right now, as it should be. Certainly those infected and especially those fighting for their lives are facing an immense struggle. While the struggle may not be comparable, mourning the loss of all of your highly anticipated plans is completely valid, too.

I know that you rolled your eyes at the thought of being in high school and wished it away from the moment it began. Whether you ended up enjoying the past four years or not, your life is about to drastically change moving forward. Everything that you thought you knew about friendships, school, politics… will be tested in college. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll change or that you need to change, but you’ll be exposed to so much more than what New Tripoli could ever offer you.

I think that’s what makes this time in your life - as a senior - so special. As exciting as college is and that I know it will be for you, there’s something truly special about cherishing the last few months in the town you’ve grown up in alongside people that you’ve known for all your life so far. I’m still fond of my own memories from this time and I know that this is why my heart breaks so much for you.

If someone had told me even a few years ago that we’d grow close to the point where I considered you to be more than a sister, but a friend, I probably wouldn’t have believed them. It wasn’t until recently that I learned I could actually appreciate the things that once annoyed me about you. Your stubbornness has persisted in times where I’ve been too weak to speak up for myself and because of your incessant need to be right, you've held every member of our family accountable from time to time. Words can’t begin to express how proud and excited I am that you’ll be joining me in State College this coming fall.

So today on your 18th birthday, I’m wishing that I could find a way to make up for the experiences that you’re losing in the midst of this crazy pandemic. Since you’ve already denied my request to DJ a personal prom for you, you’ll just have to settle for a Dunkin’ iced coffee and donut on me for now. While I know that this isn’t the entrance into adulthood that you had in mind, it'll surely be one that you'll remember forever.

Happy birthday Paigey!

---