I lived in Mexico up until the age of 2. Now at 17 years old, I don’t remember any of my aunts, uncles or the house we lived in, but I always knew we lived such different lives. What I do remember though, is that my mom was a secretary, my dad kept coming back from America and leaving again for work and my sister still lived with us. I find it crazy how different everything was.

I don’t know the real reason as to why we came to America. Maybe we came here for something as stereotypical like for a better life. But it always felt like there was something missing from my life. And I guess that was not having my sister, Alma, here. My parents told me that they asked my sister to go with us, but at 13, she decided she didn’t want to come. I never fully understood why she didn’t want to, all I knew was that she stayed with my grandparents and the rest of us left and became a family of three. Then our family expanded in 2007 when my brother was born, but we still missed her presence.

Alma was missed by all four of us, even my brother, who had never even met her. She suddenly called us last year and told us that because she is a federal teacher, she was given the opportunity to easily receive her U.S. visa, which she finally obtained this year. Alma was going to come visit for two weeks. I was super excited, but also nervous. My little brother and I eagerly counted down the days until Saturday, March 24 arrived.

Months became weeks.

Weeks became days.

And finally, days became hours.

When the day arrived, we started freaking out. My dad and I were running around the house cleaning and making sure everything was perfect. My mom wanted us to leave early so my brother could go pick up a gift for her. We headed toward Fort Worth not long after and the excitement in the car was beyond the roof. My entire family and I were jittery and we still couldn’t believe she was actually coming to visit. Everything felt surreal.

After about an hour of getting lost, we finally found the location of where she was being dropped off, a bus parking lot near a gas station. Minutes later, she arrived. She was actually here in person and I couldn’t believe it. It was one of the most emotional moments in my life. Alma was crying and my mom was crying and by this point everyone was crying, but in the end, when all the tears were wiped away, I realized how it felt to have my sister here with us again.

Although it still felt weird to be around Alma, I enjoyed spending time with my entire family that weekend. As the days went by, we all became used to her being here. It felt like she had lived with us all of these years. We got to know each other better, but I still don’t know how to talk to her. We found out we had more in common than we thought, like our shared love for music and Marvel movies. The two of us bonded over those things and for the first time in my life, I finally knew what it was like having a sister.

Alma had to grow up fast. She had to take care of my grandparents when they were supposed to be taking care of her. I had a chance to see how my sister struggled when my parents left Mexico 15 years ago. Her experience has brought a new perspective to my life, and I was able to see how not having her parents there impacted her as a teenager. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for Alma.

Now as an adult, Alma knows what she’s doing and she’s not dependent on anyone anymore; I admire her for being such a strong person these past years. Alma has been so strong-minded and I can’t imagine what it’d be like not having my parents here for me. After going so many years without knowing her, my family and I see the amazing role model she has become, with so much love in her heart.