214 The Teen Survival Guide to Dating and Relating
harder to see her leave. You’ll miss her, which I understand completely, but it may help to
remember that she’s ready to move on to the next stage of her life and has to leave home
to do so.
At first, it will be strange without her at home. The biggest challenge may be for you and
your parents to learn how to relate as a threesome. But this could be a special opportunity for
you to get closer to your parents before youleave home yourself. After all, for the first year
and a half of her life, your sister had your parents all to herself. Now it’s your turn!
As for keeping in touch with your sister, everyone loves getting mail, especially people
living far from home. So write to your sister often! She may be busier than you are and may
not be able to write as often as you can, but don’t let that stop you. Telephone rates are less
expensive on weekends, so take advantage of that. And if you both have access to email, this
is a very fast and convenient way to communicate. No matter what method of communica-
tion you choose, let your sister know what’s going on in your life, give her lots of details, and
make her promise to keep you posted about all the new things that are happening to her.
Remember that you’re not really losing her: sisters are forever, so even if you’re not living
together anymore, you’ll always have a bond. Thanks for writing.In friendship,
Terra