i'm gonna be a big...

sister that is! Now before you start thinking my parents couldn't handle the empty nest, it's not what you think!

As a kid, I always wanted to be a big sister. Being the youngest, wasn't for me. I would beg and plead with my mom to have another baby but to no avail. I remained the baby.

Fast forward to today. Having worked with kids in some form since I was 12, the last year of not being around kids has been weird. The break was needed but I missed them. They bring excitement, carefree living, and laughter into my world of stress, deadlines, and endless meetings.

I heard about this program called Big Brothers, Big Sisters. I toyed with the idea of joining for a long time but wasn't quite ready to make the commitment until recently. It's a program that matches a volunteer (me) with a girl (age 6-14) to be her big sister. Anywhere from 2-4 times a month, I would pick up my little sister and spend the afternoon with her.

Yesterday, I had my preliminary interview to be screened as a potential big sister. They have to do criminal and dmv background checks. They asked me what seemed like a billion questions about myself so they could get a feel for the kind of girl to match me up with.

One question in particular stuck out to me and it is why I chose to invest my time into someone else. The question was phrased something like this:

As a child, who in your life besides your parents, was there for you? To mentor and guide you? To be a trusted person in your life?

I reflected for a moment and it hit me. As I looked back I can pinpoint key individuals that poured into my life as a kid through my life today. It's because of those women that I am who I am today. And it's because they took the time and effort to get to know me that I want to do the same.

So I want to say thank you to the women who stood beside me and guided me. Thank you for the drives around the block, the countless dinners at Wendy's before youth group, the lunches at Panera, the talks after church, the prayers, and so much more. Thank you for inviting me into your homes and into your families. You've been my shoulders to cry on, my friend to laugh with, and even given me room to be angry when I needed too. So I just want to say thanks. The impact you all have had can't really be put into words.

Now it's my turn to give back.