Jeremiah and I have been matched for almost two years now. Jeremiah and I met when he was 11 years old and he will be 13 this November. He is a queit kid, but at the same time, he has a lot to say. He is inquisitive, thoughtful, cautious, yet bold and decisive. He is a typical almost 13 year old...which means he is horrible at texting answers longer than "ok" and apparently I embarrass him constantly! (Although he says that with a smile, so I think he secretly thinks I'm really cool)

We are a little unique in the sense that he is a Little Brother paired with me, a Big Sister. I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous that I would not live up to his expectations or fill the role that a Big Brother might have...and it definitely took him a while to warm up to me.

After the first 3 or 4 times hanging out with Jeremiah, he turned to me and said, "So are you just going to keep showing up and hanging out with me, becuase you want to?". I said, "Yeah! I picked you buddy, I'm not going anywhere!". Since that conversation, I truly feel like we are bonded as friends and as Big Sister and Little Brother.

That instance really encapsulates the main intentions of this program. These kids don't need you to be perfect or fufill some lofty imaginary goal...they just need you to show up.

I hope that I will make an impact in his life, but also I hope he understands the impact he has made on my life. Being his Big Sister has reminded me what its like to be a kid and chase a bird just because you believe you can catch it, or questioning "why" things are the way they are, or most importantly, to just be unapologetically yourself.

If you're thinking about being a Big, I would highly recommend it. It's easier than you think! You don't have to be perfect, or "cool". You just have to show up! I promise it will change you for the better.