A New Direction with My Little Sister

By Laura S., Big Sister, University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2008

Since I started volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters, I’ve known that I was making some sort of a difference in my Little Brianna’s life. Every time that I go to CPA, she greets me with a huge smile and hug. She emails me every now and then to update me on her life. Her friends also tell me that Brianna is really excited that I came to visit her. And during the hour a week that I spend with her, Brianna and I always have a great time playing together. Through all of this, I’ve always been pleased with my relationship with Brianna. I felt as though Brianna and I were both getting something out of my weekly visits to CPA.

Last week, though, our relationship moved to a new level. I actually felt like I wasn’t just Brianna’s older friend, but her Big Sister. For the first time, Brianna’s friends were not at CPA. We finally had one-on-one time with no distractions from her friends trying to talk to the two of us or asking to participate in whatever game we were playing. For a whole hour, it was just Brianna and me. We decided to weave on a loom – (a lot harder than it looks!). Once we got the hang of it, weaving was such a mindless activity that Brianna and I were able to really bond and connect in a way that we had never done before. We finally had a real conversation about her thoughts and feelings, and we both got to know each other in a more meaningful way. A smile never left my face for the rest of the day. And since last Friday, I’ve kept smiling. Brianna has sent me emails on a daily basis saying how excited she is for this week and how she can’t wait to see me. I am so thrilled with the direction in which our relationship is going, and I cannot wait to see what happens next.