Question #8
“What’s one thing that you learned as a big sister that you think little sisters should know?”
Dear E,
The big sister lesson that I’d teach little sisters is a double-edged sword, because it’s also our downfall. Ready to hear it? Okay, take a deep breath.
The lesson: You can figure out anything. Any problem, challenge, goal with an unclear path — you can figure out how to get there, or how to get close enough. You can figure it out even if nobody helps you, even if it seems impossible, even if the odds are stacked against you. You might have to cry about it, or complain about it first, but you can absolutely do it.
Here’s the other half of that sword for the big sisters who need to hear it: You don’t have to figure it out by yourself. You can ask for help, rally a team, and take your time. If the people that you expect to show up for you don’t do that, you can ask someone else. You can ask for advice. You can do like your little sibling does and call someone that you think is older and wiser, with the expectation that they’d love to help you (because they would).
