Coolest Kid on the Block

Alex, me, and our puppy

In everyone's life, there's someone who inspires them. Now as cliched as it may sound, my little sister Alex is my best friend. I'm not the kind of person who texts her best friend 24/7; in fact, I probably text her only once a week. We don't talk on the phone every day, and I don't tell her every little thing about me. The thing is, I don't have to. I talk to her about the important stuff, and she already knows everything about me. Two years younger than me, we used to fight all the time as kids, at least enough that it was problematic. I remember the day my mom sat us down and made us talk, and agree to protect each other forever, because that's what sisters do. We've been besties ever since.

We got along sometimes too :)

It may just sound like I'm writing a post about my best friend so I can brag, and that's partly true, but that's not the whole story.


12 years ago today, my sister, at the age of 5, was diagnosed with type 1 Diabetes. As a 7 year old, I didn't understand why we had to keep going to the hospital. I still remember laying in the hospital bed with her, watching cartoons and coloring in books. I also remember when the nurse would come in with needles and Alex would hide under the sheets. I wanted to stop the nurse, but I was afraid she would make me leave.

After coming home, the needles didn't stop, and I realized she would have to get shots at least 4 times a day for the rest of her life, until her insulin pump came along, which means shots are a lot less frequent. But I still didn't quite understand. Why did my parents never pay attention to me anymore? I was still their child, even if I didn't need medical attention. I think that was why I didn't like that little punk for a while. Yet as the years went on, I began to understand, and we learned to be best friends.

I had to watch my little sister struggle every day with her diet, with controlling her blood sugar. This sensitive little girl had to go through so much, and not just medically. I don't think she's ever, in her life, intentionally tried to hurt someone (unless it's on the basketball court - ha, you know I'm kidding Alex;)

We've been through a lot together, and I won't go into all of it, but I've watched her work through not only diabetes, but also her diagnosis with Celiac disease a few years ago, as well as a number of other struggles. Now she's in the top running for the Presidential scholarship at Eastern Michigan University (smarty pants!) where she wants to get a nursing degree and give back to the profession she's had to learn so much about. As a senior in high school, she's playing volleyball and basketball, taking AP Calc "for fun," and she's working two jobs. While her stubborn side can get on my nerves, it also drives her to be a much better person than I'll ever be. Her sensitive, caring personality makes me want to be more selfless.

I don't know if you've caught on or not yet, but I love my sister so much, and I'm so proud of her as she's ended up here on a journey that start 12 years ago. I'll never do her justice, whether in one blog post or 1 million, but I hope I can convey at least a little bit of the honor I feel for know her. I miss you Alex! You're my inspiration.

Alex, 10 year old Gianna, and me at the Color Run