I have known my sister Emily for 16 years, 5 months and 14 days, give or take a few hours. The day I came home from the hospital in my mother’s arms, I was given a blessing in disguise. Emily is a big sister, a confidant, an occasional psychiatrist, a ‘partner in crime’, a personal comedian, my protector, a voice of reason and above all else, a best friend.

It may seem strange that two people so different could turn out to be friends. People often find it hard to believe that we are even related. We don’t dress alike, we don’t look alike, and we don’t act alike. There are, of course, plenty of things that we have in common, like our love for Starbucks and Harry Potter, but I think that our differences are what make our relationship so strong.

Like any other siblings, we have had our squabbles, but no matter how mad we get at each other, we can’t stay that way for long. That is one of the things that I love about our relationship; in no time at all, we are back to our shenanigans, laughing and sharing stories over a game of cards or Yahtzee.

At the end of August, Emily began her new life, over a hundred miles away at San Diego State University. I never imagined that my life would change so much. Now that she’s gone, the house is eerily quiet in the absence of her obnoxiously contagious laugh. I only cook for myself because she’s no longer sitting at the counter, demanding that I make her nachos or cupcakes. I have enormous amounts of free time, no longer required to accompany her on trips to the mall or photography trips. I often find myself watching our favorite TV shows alone on the couch with my coffee. Sometimes I still look at her seat and catch myself thinking, ‘When’s Em gonna be home?’

I’m coping with how my life has changed now that she has left home. There’s nothing I can really do about it; she couldn’t exactly stay here forever. I always took her company for granted, but I know that whenever I see her, I will treasure every moment. No matter how far or long life takes us away from one another, I know we will always find each other. After all, she is my sister. •