A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double. ~Toni Morrison
My sister was born when I was four years old. An answered prayer because I really wanted to have a sister. That time all I wished for was a playmate. Someone who I can share my Barbies and Play Dohs. My excitement of having a baby sister made me very hands on in taking care of her.
I've seen every stage of her life. Her first word was "cha-anen" and she always say that when she sees the Sprite Fido Dido commercial. She played as a ballerina in her first school presentation way back her preschool days. She was given the Most Jolly award during her preschool graduation. Her first crush was CJ Ramos of Ang TV when she was 7years old. She has a Winnie the Pooh security pillow that she can't live without until now. I can go on and on and narrate all the things I've witnessed and seen about her. All I can say is that I was there and I've seen them all.
When Nicole was in preschool, her teacher called our mom's attention because Nicole kept on telling stories about me. My mom talked to me about it and she said that Nicole looks up to me as an Ate so I have to be a role model to her. That's when the "sister" role started to sink in. I have to be responsible over my actions because I have a younger sister who idolizes me. It was flattering to know that my sister loves to be like me because I have friends who were not meshing well with their sisters. At least for me and Nicole, we are never rivals.
As much as Nicole looks up to me, there were times when I also disappointed her. But every time I did something wrong, she was the first to know. She's always there as a confidante, listener and a ready hug anytime I need one. She's also the person I talk to when I need a "brutally" honest answer. She will never pretend a compliment if there's nothing nice to say. She has this way of pulling off criticisms and addressing it to me in a sweet way. She sees my failures as lessons for the two of us. She never judged me for my mistakes but on how I pick myself up. Her presence in my life inspires me to be always at my best.
Nicole and I talk, laugh and sound alike. We both have smiling faces. We have the same tastes in clothes, movies, music etc. We share our stuffs to one another. Our bonding time is in the bathroom. Ha ha! We can talk about anything under the sun non-stop. We are well updated of each other's daily lives. Like me, she can easily make friends too. She is even friends with my friends. Yet even if we have a lot of things in common, we are also different in more ways than one. She is the singer, I'm the dancer. She fancies "boy-next-door" type when it comes to crushes, while I'm attracted to the "bad-boy-type" Ha ha! She's the athletic one, I'm the artistic one. She's morena, I'm mestiza looking. When angry, she's quiet and I'm the one who flares up. She's into black eyeliners, while I'm into white eyeliners. She's into loud color nail polishes, while I'm into the neat, clean trim only. But even with our differences, we never allow it to be annoying one other. There are times that we quarrel or argue, or should I say most of the time (Ha ha!) but that never created a wall between us.
For me having a sister is also a training on how to become a good friend because having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid off. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there. So you have to accept her individuality, embrace her flaws and love her unconditionally. I'm so blessed to have Nicole as a sister.
NICOLE AQUINO - my ONE and ONLY sister and that makes her the BEST!;) (I have no choice sis ha ha!)
