I’m the eldest sister in my family which is both a blessing and a curse. I adore my sisters, but there are days- mainly the ones when they’ve stolen clothes, cookies or read my diary- when I can’t help but dream about the peaceful life of an only-child.

We bicker, argue and ignore one another until one of us calls a truce when Notting Hill is on telly. They may drive me mad but my sisters have taught me a lot in life and many have made it so much better.

1. Moving On Is Vital

People will walk away from you, it’s just a part of life. It isn’t easy to accept and can break your heart into a thousand tiny pieces, but you cannot let it consume you. My sisters were there for me when I lost one of my dearest friends and reminded me that life goes on, with or without them, and you cannot let a break-up, be it romantic or platonic, take over your life.

2. Wash Your Make-Up Off

As the eldest sister, I got to endure the awkward teenage years of poor skincare routines and dodgy foundation lines. My youngest sister somehow bypassed that stage and was gifted with makeup skills that I’ll forever be envious of. Most importantly, she knows how important it is to wash your make-up off and will always sternly reminds me of that when I’m dozing off with mascara smudges under my eyes.

3. Life Is Too Short 

I can be guilty of staying in my comfort zone, but my sister’s zest for adventure always encourages me to actually live. They’ve dragged me on nights out which ended up being some of the most memorable. They’ve pushed me to see more of the world and join them on sister holidays that I would’ve been sorry to miss out on. Their pure and light view on life reminds me that there is no point in letting the negative stuff take over and stop you from creating memories.

4. Take More Photos

Do you ever feel embarrassed for taking a selfie with your friend or a photo of the sunset? There have been times when I’ve found myself cringing when I document a moment, but my sister has reminded me that photos capture those moments forever, so why should we feel ashamed of taking three seconds to snap a quick photo? People judge you for not ‘living in the moment’ but I know I’ll always smile when I look back at the videos of us dancing at Westlife’s Croke Park gig or from our family trip to Galway.

5. You’re Not Alone

A quick scroll through Instagram can make you feel like the loneliest person on the planet. As you move down your feed you’re greeted with pictures of couples who are hopelessly in love, work colleagues enjoying brunch together or a giant group of friends on holiday in New York. There have been many moment when I’m standing at the bus stop or sitting on a train and I’m overcome with a feeling of loneliness after a quick look at Instagram, but then I go home and my little sister nearly knocks me over with the warmest hug and the other is sitting in the kitchen telling another inappropriate story that leaves our parents red-faced.

There have been moments in my life when I felt so painfully alone, the loneliness blinded me so much that I couldn’t see that there have been two life-long friends by my side since 1996 and 2000. And I couldn’t be more grateful for them.