Coming of Age Final

 The transition from adolescence to adulthood varies for each individual. For some, it may happen at an early age, and for others it may take longer. No matter when it happens, it is often a significant day in a person's life, because it's the day that they've finally come of age.
      When I was younger, I used to be really mean to my older sister. I would roll my eyes whenever she said something dumb and get mad at her over every little thing. Then, one day, we had a pretty bad fight, so my mom had a talk with me. Little did I know that something as simple as a conversation would help me to grow up and change into a better person. At a younger age, I didn't quite understand my sister's condition and how lucky we were to have her in our lives. I wasn't alive to see any of the many surgeries she had to go through to fix the hole in her heart, and I wasn't aware of how much medication she had to take, just to maintain her health. I didn't know what DiGeorge Syndrome was and how it affected her everyday.
      My mom continued to tell me about the major obstacles that she had to overcome to get to where she is today. She said to me,  "You have to learn to appreciate her more, and to let the little things slide. You can't change the way other people are, but one thing you can change is the way you act towards them." In that moment, I realized how strong my big sister was, and I admired her for that. My mom helped me to understand that although she wasn't perfect, neither was I. There were still many things that I could do to become a better sister. I was snobby, unappreciative, and I made everything about me. I made lots of sassy comments whenever she said anything, and I rarely had any meaningful conversations with her. I didn't include her in anything, because everything that I did was with my twin. We would gang up on her and leave her out when we would go outside to play volleyball, or watch a movie. Then, I felt bad, and I realized that this was not the person that I wanted to be. She already had a tough life since she was born, and I was only making it harder. I should have been there to cheer her up when she was feeling down, and support her in tough situations. I should have been more grateful that my sister was healthy and pretty much normal.
      I was then determined to become more loving and caring towards my big sister. Instead of being quick to point out her mistakes or to judge her, I learned to keep my comments to myself. From making that small change, I noticed that we started fighting less and less. Now, my sister and I talk a lot more, and do a lot more things together. When we go shopping with each other, I help her to pick out things to wear. When we play volleyball, she serves and hits to me to help me become a better passer.  I was opposed to changing myself at first, because I was stubborn. But when I finally did, I found myself laughing more and being a better person overall. Change is not always easy, and it may take some time, but in the end it was worth it.
      My mother's words helped me to learn to appreciate every moment that I have with the people that are important to me, and not take them for granted. Without that conversation with my mom, my sister and I might not be as close as we are today. I learned that the only life that you have control over is your own, and that change is okay. By making changes for myself, I've become a much happier person than I was before. Change is needed for the coming of age, and is necessary for a person to finally be able to grow up.