WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SORORITY BIG SIS

All of this talk about littles reminded me of one very important thing - you do not take a little, you earn a little.

The big sis/little sis relationship is very important to our sororities. It is something that everyone looks forward to. I remember anxiously waiting to find out who my big was after a week of gifts and clues. It was one of the most fun weeks during my new membership due to playing a lot of "guess who" based on the clues. It was also fun for me to receive my first little even though she was not my pick. At the time I did not understand what it meant to be a big. Here is what I mean...

My first little and I could not have been more different. She was a legacy, super sweet girl, really quiet, not too involved, and very heavily focused on keeping her scholarship. I, on the other hand, didn't know much about sorority life before coming to college, am pretty loud, was super involved in my chapter, and could care less if I pulled a 4.0. Good grades were important, but I would have much rather have taken the 3.5 and had a lot of fun than no fun and a 4.0. #personalpriorities

I was shocked when I found out she would be my little because we honestly hadn't even hung out that much. I got along with her best friend a lot more than her and she got along with my grand big a lot more than me. It just seemed like an odd match. One of my pledge sisters was new member ed at the time so I asked her why she had paired us together (not in an angry why, but I was seriously curious).

She explained to me that her advisor had explained that being a big is all about being a mentor to your new little. She told me that my little was struggling to come out of her shell during new member meetings and would only hangout with certain people in the chapter. By pairing us together she would almost be forced to get out of her comfort zone and expand her sorority experience.

That was a big realization for me because I thought being a big was all about showering my new little with gifts and hanging out. I thought back on my experience as a new member and realized that I had not fully committed to my sorority until I got my big. She helped bring out the best in me and that is what I have always tried to do for my littles.

It was always so much fun learning about my little and also learning about myself from my little. It is our responsibility to open their eyes to what it means to be a member of our sorority, to guide them through everything, and to serve as a sounding board. Not just anyone can be a big and just because you think someone will be your perfect little doesn't mean you are right for each other.