Sisters by Chance, Best Friends by Choice
March 14th, 2025
Writer: Kate Weinstein
Editor: Jaz Seiden and Carlie Pavell
Growing up, my sisters, Allie and Sydney, were simply that – my sisters. They were my family; the people I lived across the hallway from, shared a last name with, and experienced countless childhood memories with. If you had told my younger self that one day, my two older, cooler sisters would become my best friends, my biggest supporters, fiercest protectors, and most trusted confidants, I wouldn’t have believed you.
As the youngest of three girls, I often felt a unique mix of love, chaos, admiration, and frustration. Love from the unwavering support. Chaos from the different personalities we each had, the stealing of each other's clothes, and being in different stages of life. Admiration from the simple fact that my older sisters were my role models– and there was nothing more in this world I wanted to be than them. That came with frustration of being left out only because of my age. And of course, always being the “baby” of the family, even when I wasn’t an actual baby anymore.
Having two older sisters meant I would always feel the love of having someone look out for me. But, at the same time, it also meant never letting me forget that I’m the youngest. Whether that was through teasing me, reminding me that I never had to “convince” my parents for approval like they did, asking me to do countless tasks for them, or calling me out when I tried to act more grown-up than I was.
While most people hated quarantine and would do anything for a sense of normalcy, I cherished it. My sisters and I were forced to spend every day together for four months. I could finally spend the uninterrupted time bonding with them I had longed for since I was little; culminating the ultimate turning point in our relationships.
My sisters were in college and I was in my junior and senior years of high school as quarantine lifted and we continued with our lives. I was the only one at home. I saw the truth of the common phrase ‘distance makes the heart grow fonder.’
The petty arguments weren’t gone but faded into something deeper, a love and respect we had for each other. The fights will likely never stop but, my sisters are no longer just the people I shared a house with—they are my safe space.
Now, at 20, when life throws challenges my way, whether it’s the pressures of school, friend drama, heartbreak, or self-doubt, I always turn to my sisters without a second thought, knowing they will lead me in the right direction.
Like any siblings growing up, my childhood was filled with rivalries, disagreements, and times when we could not have been more different from each other. Through the fights, the tears, the laughter, and the lessons only sisters can teach, we became more than family. Sisters by chance, best friends by choice. I wouldn’t have it any other way.