finding myself, my sister

By Alexia Flores

What is a sister to you? Normally a sister to someone is a woman or a girl who shares parents or a parent with another individual, but that's not the case for me. Although Ayleen Chavez is not my biological sister and we may not share the same parents, she is my sister.

Growing up I always lacked a close connection to someone my age that I could tell everything without being judged or put down as i had been bullied for a large part of my life. I was always scared to talk to new people and even more scared to trust them, But that wasn't the case with her, meeting her was the push I needed to keep going in life when I was just about to give up.

Ayleen Chavez and I have known each other for our whole lives but never acknowledged one another. The moment we talked for the first time it felt like a weight lifted from my shoulders, I was finally able to put my guard down and fully trust someone.

Spending time with Ayleen is the most relieving thing when I'm with her it feels like the rest of my problems disappear, talking, laughing, And going on our little adventures in the woods are some of my favorite memories because there has never been a moment where she made me feel less of a person.

The first memory I recall with her is when she saved me from getting attacked by a raccoon, she was the only one of the group who had noticed I was missing because I thought it would have been a good idea to try and pet a wild raccoon while on a camping trip. That made me feel special because many times I had felt invisible around other people especially people my age, she showed me that not everyone in this world was evil but also not to trust, I was taught my reason to continue to keep trying over time.

A sister is someone who helps you heal and dosent hurt you, She has helped me overcome many things from eating disorders to the point where i absolutely hated my self, but she showed me how to love and appreciate myself and recognize my worth, Thanks to ayleen i now love and cherish myself and other people because to be able to love someone else you need to love yourself first.

I am very grateful to have finally found my sister and myself as well because without her i probably would not contine to be here.Thank you Ayleen for everything I love you.