My Little Sister is Growing Up

Ashley is a bright-eyed, optimistic college freshman. She loves the Beatles and vintage appliances and she spends waaaaaay too much time in Target. She laughs easily and whole-heartedly. We are yoga buddies, we go shopping together, we work together, and we're always borrowing each others' clothes. Despite being very close, we are vastly different people.  She is always quick with a smile and has better shoes than me. She wears more dresses and less makeup. She likes to be around and help people, which is probably why she wants to be a nurse.

Three weeks ago Ashley moved out of our parents' house. I was surprised to find that I was more worried about her than I thought I would be. I remember how excited I was when that day came for me and even though everything wasn't always perfect, it taught me so much about life. I loved having more independence and responsibility, which is part of the reason I was so surprised to find myself worried about her. Of course, I was excited for her too, but the worry crept in around the edges.

Would she make friends? Keep up with classes? Meet boys? Party too much? How often would I hear from her? Or see her? What if she got too busy for me? Would she tell me if she wasn't okay?


I'm so used to her living at home with my parents, that it's weird for me to think about her being somewhere else. Maybe this is how moms feel when their kids move out. I find that more than any feeling, what I feel is a need to be there for her, and I don't know the best way to do that. I'm watching her grow into her own person, and I want to be a part of that person's life.

These last few weeks have been different, but still the same. I've found comfort in some of the things that have stayed the same. We still have an active group chat, filled with cute things that Mom does or funny pictures. We still see each other every Sunday for lunch and send snapchats when we're bored.

Even though Ashley and I are different in a lot of ways, I know that we both have a good head on our shoulders and are both down-to-earth. As I watch her grow into her own person, I will try to enjoy this time in our lives, while we're both in college, before we are fully-fledged adults.