Written by Ashley Lopez

I can’t count on my fingers how many crushes I’ve had during school. How many boys I thought were “the one.” How many people I had to kiss to find a good kiss. I remember my first real kiss in high school so clearly. I liked the boy so much. But then he kissed me. He stuck his whole tongue in my mouth and wiggled it around like an engorged worm and then… he proceeded to burp in my mouth—the disrespect!

Hi everyone, welcome back to Ashley Spills. Ashley, here. You can check out my other posts here.

My little sister is in high school

Now my little sister is in high school and she’s going to have her first kiss eventually. What a time to be alive, just stay little. When she calls me to tell me about her crushes, I can literally feel my heart warming; it makes me feel all fuzzy inside like there is a thick fluffy blanket coursing through me knowing that she is able to open up to me.

In these moments I have to rewind my mentality and put myself in the same shoes I’ve already worn in the past because I do understand what she’s going through, even though I lived it years ago. I want to be relatable and make her feel safe. When we talk about teenage things, her age gets slapped in my face; she is growing up so fast!

I really hope she’s smarter than me. I can only hope no one burps in her innocent mouth. And for the life of me, if a stupid boy ever makes her cry because he thinks she’s not good enough, I will haunt him. I won’t ever stop because I know she’s the absolute best.

Being older allows me to teach

Our adolescence sure is something to laugh about, but also something to be grateful for. Like me, I’m sure you’ve learned countless lessons from your youth. Whether they made you stronger, wiser, feel stupid or encouraged you to do something different, those experiences molded us into the people we are now. Make sure to share your stories with your littles (as I like to call my younger siblings), it’s refreshing to tell someone who looks up to you.

If you’re an older sister and don’t feel like you’re doing enough. Not reaching out as much as you should. Not telling them you love them as often as you’d like. Start doing it today. Time passes by too quickly and if you want to hear about their lives, give them the comfort that they need to be able to talk to you. Let them express themselves to you.

This week I challenge you to tell your younger sibling an embarrassing story of your past that you learned from.

Thanks for reading, xo.