By Bailey Saraceno
I have two siblings that are my world- my sister and my brother.
Alyssa: My sister Alyssa is twenty-four years old and has been there for me since the start. She helped raise me and she is in fact my best friend. She helped push me to where I am now. When I was little, I knew that I wanted to be like my sister. I grew up and moved to college. It has been hard being away from my best friend this long. Facetime is not the same. We contact each other a few times a week to catch up, but with school, I sometimes have to cut our conversations short. She was a role model to me when I was growing up. Seeing her graduate high school and moving in with her fiancé made me see how I need to have goals and there is more to accomplish every day. So, I have been constantly accomplishing and attacking my goals in life and hope that one day I could be living the life I want to create. Having my best friend so far away from me, the person who helped create my drive, is hard because without her I would not be where I am now. Making her proud is one of my goals. I never want her to think that I failed her, if I failed her then I also failed myself considering she helped with what I know.
Matthew: My brother Matthew is seven years old. He was actually a blessing and a miracle baby. My dad and stepmom had him at an age where it was dangerous for both the baby and my stepmom. Matthew helped me grow up because I was a big sister and tried my best to be there for him and help him when he needed. I try my best to get back home to hang out with him and see him as much as I can. College has added stress onto my life and sometimes just going back home and seeing him being a kid, smiling, laughing and not having much stress on his life often helps me remember it’s okay to take time and enjoy life sometimes smile while you can and laugh often. College has made it harder to contact him and I strive to do well so he can look up to me. You never know whose life you’re impacting, and my brother may be looking up to me and I don’t know it yet. He has taught me so much even though he doesn’t know it yet. I cannot wait for the day he gets older and I can tell him about all these things and how he’s helped me, but also to talk about stories.
These two people are very important in my life considering they have shaped who I am, and I could have impacted their growth as well. Being away at college has impacted my relationship with both my sister and my brother. It is hard being away from my role model- the one who helped me grow up and set that example and expectation for me. It is hard being away from the person who has reminded me to smile. It creates distance and is sometimes hard remembering why I am at college doing what I am doing. They keep me on the track and help me through my journey. I am excited to graduate and have more time to spend with them. I hope I make them proud and I would like them to realize that without them I would not be the person I am today.