It Was You | Teen Ink

It Was You

August 12, 2015
By Kestrel135 PLATINUM, Waterford, Connecticut
Kestrel135 PLATINUM, Waterford, Connecticut
43 articles 0 photos 256 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Respect existence or expect resistance"


You were always there.
On day one, you cradled me in your arms and thanked Mom for the gift that was your new little sister. You were the voice slipping me stories when language was a mystery. You explained how I had to kick my legs back and forth at the perfect time to get the swing moving and that, if you look close enough, any stone can be a dragon egg. We played with unicorns and conquered gravity with string and balloons. While our parents thought us asleep, we would watch episodes of cartoon animals where you always played the indifferent cat and I had to be the goose, together discovering a new universe as we assumed the roles. For the first few years of my life, you were Kay-ay, my favorite toy. You became the best friend I would ever know as we jumped between states and seas, unable to find other alliances.
When we settled down, things changed. We began to grow up. You became a hermit in your room, saying that you couldn’t play anymore without explanation. Reality overwhelmed the dreams. The dragon eggs were just rocks, the clans of animals just plush toys, the cartoon cats and geese just images on a screen. I missed you. Whenever I could persuade you to be the brilliant dog inventor or to build Lego ships with mismatched pieces or sword fight with sticks in the front yard, I loved you, Kay-ay. The more reclusive you became, the more I cherished those moments.
Even as toys became irrelevant, you still guided me. You would sit down and tap the keys of a plastic piano as I watched with a giddy grin, later selecting the trumpet as your instrument. Soon enough, I fell for music’s splendor and started taking piano lessons only to dedicate myself to the violin. Then you began to scribble down stories, even letting me in on some of your schemes. I already appreciated writing, but the idea of creating a substantial story in elementary school seemed impossible. You proved me wrong. For years that followed, I poured my heart onto a page. Even as you dropped both music and writing to pursue other hobbies, you first exposed the ones that would define me.
During my bleakest year, I looked to you for help. Unsure of myself, I adopted your fashion and wit, hoping that if I was just like my sister I could regain my confidence and be comfortable in my skin, just like you. I wasn’t. Unknowingly, you taught me the greatest lesson of my life; be yourself.
Later, as middle school progressed, we would chat over a shared sink about new romance and petulant irony. You would trust me with the most personal secret you kept, and I would hinge on every word spilling from your mouth. Then we would share a smile, and I would release my darkest fears while you listened with a lopsided smirk and the perfect answer.
We might fight over the music and how clean the sink is and regret words spoken in bursts of frustration, but that isn’t what I will remember from you. I will remember my sister, my best friend. Kaylee. I will remember the dragon eggs, the stories we concocted, the legacies, the secrets. I will remember Kay-ay cradling me in her arms before I even knew her name.
Thank you.
It was you who made me who I am.



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This article has 14 comments.


on Sep. 8 2015 at 4:17 pm
Kestrel135 PLATINUM, Waterford, Connecticut
43 articles 0 photos 256 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Respect existence or expect resistance"

Thank you so much! Your words touch my heart. And trust me, all younger siblings look up to their older brothers or sisters as role models more than once. :)

on Sep. 7 2015 at 6:40 pm
CNBono17 SILVER, Rural, South Carolina
5 articles 0 photos 248 comments

Favorite Quote:
Lego ergo sum (Latin—I read, therefore, I am)
The pen is mightier than the sword—unknown
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity—1 Timothy 4:12

Yet again, @Kestrel135, you have outdone yourself. You paint a picture that's relatable, poignant, and forces you to think on a deeper level. Like several others who've commented, I'm the oldest in my family (of 5; all girls) and I can relate easily to this. To reiterate others, I can only hope I've made the same impact on my younger sisters that your sister has made on you. Amazing article! Well done, and God bless!

on Sep. 7 2015 at 2:43 pm
Kestrel135 PLATINUM, Waterford, Connecticut
43 articles 0 photos 256 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Respect existence or expect resistance"

I don't know how I missed this comment - I am so sorry about that! Thank you so much for your kind words and enthusiasm! :) As it turns out, I am a violinist! I also play the viola and can dabble out a tune on the piano (poorly, I'll admit), but the violin was the instrument that really inspired me to invest in the others seriously. I didn't know you played the violin; that's awesome!

on Aug. 21 2015 at 7:52 pm
Kestrel135 PLATINUM, Waterford, Connecticut
43 articles 0 photos 256 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Respect existence or expect resistance"

I'm glad it's so relatable, especially for so many different groups of siblings. Thank you for your support:)

on Aug. 20 2015 at 12:45 pm
AithlynFreye BRONZE, Oxford, Alabama
4 articles 0 photos 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I wonder sometimes if the motivation for writers ought to be contempt, not admiration." -Orson Scott Card

This is brilliant. I really love this. I can relate to it but different because I have an older brother. Thank you for writing this. It's very well written and relatable to a lot of people.

on Aug. 18 2015 at 10:45 am
Kestrel135 PLATINUM, Waterford, Connecticut
43 articles 0 photos 256 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Respect existence or expect resistance"

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!

on Aug. 18 2015 at 10:44 am
Kestrel135 PLATINUM, Waterford, Connecticut
43 articles 0 photos 256 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Respect existence or expect resistance"

Aw, thank you so much! I'm elated that this piece is worthy of being called artwork. It means a lot to me:)

on Aug. 17 2015 at 12:28 pm
Jtatsu PLATINUM, East Brunswick, New Jersey
26 articles 0 photos 77 comments
Your article really touched my heart. Relatable, and well written besides, I loved how you made it connect with so many readers as well as keeping it your own personal story. Well done! Similar to Beila, I am the eldest child in my family, and I can only hope that my younger siblings can be just as appreciative as you are to your sister.

Beila BRONZE said...
on Aug. 17 2015 at 12:29 am
Beila BRONZE, Palo Alto, California
3 articles 0 photos 516 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." -Mark Twain

Aw, this is so lovely. It especially warms my heart because I am the oldest of a large family, and it's always nice for me to hear that the little ones appreciate what I do for them. Whether it's changing their diapers, singing them songs, showing them how to write their names in cursive, or giving them advice for managing a high school workload, there's always more to give a little sibling! The small tokens of gratitude I get back--the hugs, kisses, and whispered "I love you"s--are so, so worth it. Your sister is very lucky to have such an expressive little sibling. :) Love this piece, and it's unique! Deeply personal, yet deeply relatable. In my opinion, that's the best kind of art.

on Aug. 16 2015 at 9:20 pm
WritinGirl PLATINUM, DeKalb, Illinois
20 articles 0 photos 78 comments

Favorite Quote:
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” ~Maya Angelou

That was very touching and refreshingly beautiful admist so many articles of pain and suffering. You are a great writer and I love reading your work! Side-note, do you play the violin? I'm a violinist myself and am curious

on Aug. 16 2015 at 1:14 pm
Kestrel135 PLATINUM, Waterford, Connecticut
43 articles 0 photos 256 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Respect existence or expect resistance"

I'm glad you like it! Feel free to try something like it on your own if you want. As a writer, it is extremely refreshing to view a person in your life with only gratitude in mind. Thank you for the support, I really appreciate it!

on Aug. 16 2015 at 1:11 pm
Kestrel135 PLATINUM, Waterford, Connecticut
43 articles 0 photos 256 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Respect existence or expect resistance"

Yay! I'm elated that you like it, and more so that it is easy to relate to. Thank you so much!

on Aug. 15 2015 at 7:53 pm
Summerstar SILVER, Clinton, Utah
9 articles 1 photo 35 comments

Favorite Quote:
“For he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in your ways. And they will bear you up in their hands…” Psalms 91:11-12

This is a beautiful story, very sentimental and thought out, brilliantly done. I don't see work like this enough, keep writing!

on Aug. 15 2015 at 1:18 pm
SkippyPeanutbutter SILVER, Utrecht, Other
9 articles 0 photos 49 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Happiness can be found, even at the darkest of times. If one only remembers to turn on the light." -Albus Dumbledore
"We're all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?" -the Eleventh Doctor

wow, this is really poferful and well written! I have absolutely no advice on how to make it better! Also I can relate so well to the narrator! WELL DONE!