Love Letter #2: To the Teenager

Love Letter 1 – To the Ones Who Started It All
Love Letter 3 – To the New Highschool Graduate

You were my first model. I think I may have taken more photos of you than all of my clients over the past few years combined. You were willing to dress up and let me fix your hair and then spend over an hour outside taking pictures. I may have bribed you. Sometimes.

We’ve shared a room since almost day one. Thanks for putting up with me for 13 years. And thanks for always piling your stuff on my bed. 😉 And I will always remember that you would always play with my hair as you fell asleep the first few years we shared a room.

I remember making a play house for you underneath our bunk beds so many times.

You used to love talking in a British accent while playing house. You’ve always loved little children, and sometimes I have to fight you for the rights to hold a baby. But that’s ok. I love that about you.

You’ve always had to share your birthday with basketball. Somehow it always falls during State tournament when we are so busy with other things, that it’s hard to remember that you’re a year older. But you’ve always taken it in stride and handled it with grace.

I fully expect that in the next few years you will grow taller than me. Stand tall, Josie. Stand tall for the right things and in the right way. Your stubbornness (I didn’t really say that, did I?) will benefit you if you use it for the right reasons. Stand tall when the world wants you to bend to their wants and their criticism and their false ideals.

I love playing piano duets with you. You’ll probably pass me up on that someday too. But that’s ok. Because I’m proud of you.

You probably even read faster than I do now. I love that we have so many books that we don’t have enough space in the bookshelves in our room.

Thanks for taking countless silly pictures with me. We probably have more of those than we do good pictures. But what else are sisters good for?

Don’t try to grow up too fast. I can already see the changes coming. You aren’t that cute, blonde haired, chubby cheeked, silly little girl anymore. You’re becoming a beautiful, blonde haired, tall young woman. Always remember that you are meant to be you and no one else. You are meant to be you as God wants all of His children to be. Use His word as a guide to what you are to look like, talk like, and act like. Don’t try to copy other people. Don’t try to be someone else or to change the fundamentals of who you are to please anyone on this earth. Be the woman God has commanded you to be and never be apologetic about that.

Never forget how to have fun. Never let me forget how much I appreciate you. Every photo taken of me on my website is because of you. You’re patient with me while I try to explain how to use my camera and angles to come from. You hold my reflectors for me during photo sessions, and you are part of the reason why people love my photos.

Be my Josie. Forever and always. Happy 13th to my favorite sister.