Personal Essay Example: My Baby Sister

It was May 28, 2020, a beautiful, sunny day when I got a text that my baby sister was about to be born. I had just gotten back from playing soccer outside in Phys Ed, when I opened my gym locker, checked my phone, and saw a text from my dad saying that my step-mom was going into labor. Excitement immediately kicked in, my heart started pounding out of my chest and I could feel butterflies in my stomach. I was so anxious to get to meet my baby sister, that would soon be called Sierra. One experience that has had the most impact on my life was when my baby sister was born and from that experience I’ve learned that change can be a good thing, how nothing in life is ever guaranteed, and the importance of family. 

It’s crazy looking back now at how nervous I was when I first found out that I was going to have a baby sister. I had always been the type of person to fear change, whether it was big or small. The news was hard to process at first and I was scared because I didn’t know the effect it would have on my life. I was worried about all the small things like the crying and dirty diapers, along with the fear of it drastically changing my family dynamic, and of the responsibility that comes with being a good older sister. When I held Sierra for the first time, I watched as her tiny hand gripped my hair, I felt the touch of her soft skin, I heard the cute little noises she made, I kissed her forehead and smelt that sweet newborn smell. I instantly felt a feeling of love and connection that made all of my previous worries disappear. A baby sister was a huge change in my life, but it actually turned out to be one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I can’t imagine my life without Sierra and I am so grateful I was able to embrace the change.

The day Sierra was born turned out nothing like I imagined it would. My baby sister wasn’t supposed to be born for another two weeks, but after my stepmom got preeclampsia they decided to induce her labour early. There were further complications with the labour that put the lives of both my stepmom and baby sister at risk, so the doctors ended up calling for an emergency c-section. This experience taught me that things don’t always go as planned and that nothing in life is ever guaranteed. One minute everything can be normal and the next thing you know your world could be tipped upside down. In spite of the complications, my stepmom gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby. We were so lucky that everything turned out perfectly in the end, but knowing how easily things could have gone bad helped me gain a deeper appreciation for life. This experience has taught me that there are some things that we don’t have control over and that I should be grateful for every moment I have with my loved ones.

The birth of my baby sister made me realize just how important my family is to me. This experience helped me come to the realization that I had been overlooking how lucky I am to have the family that I have. My family makes me happy, they make me feel a sense of belonging, and we love each other unconditionally. I have always had close relationships with my family members and having Sierra added to the family has brought us all even closer together. I want to be the best sister that I can possibly be to her, I will strive to be someone who she can look up to. I am so grateful that Sierra is now a part of my life and I have gained a deeper appreciation for all of my other family members. 

My baby sister being born was a crucial point in my life that taught me to embrace change, that nothing is ever guaranteed to go the way you think it will, and the significance of family. It helped me recognize that I should be open minded to change because it could always be a good thing. I learned that there are some things in life that are beyond my control and that not everything will happen exactly as anticipated. Family is very important and I'm so grateful that I have strong relationships with my family members. The biggest thing that I’ve learned from this experience is that you can never control exactly what's going to happen in your life but you can make the best of the situations you go through and use them to grow as a person.