I left home a couple of days before my 15th birthday to live in a country that I never been to before and it changed my life forever. At the time, I only thought of how that change only affected me. I wasn’t aware of what impact it would have on my family.

As I grew and matured a tad, I began to realize how it had affected my parents. How part of them regretted sending us off at such a young age, despite having the best intentions in their hearts and minds. What I didn’t consider was the impact it had on her.

My sister left home two years after I did and arrived in Canada at a different boarding school. That means she experienced the same thing I did having left home at 15 but she also experienced me leaving when she was 13.

For better or worse, this changed our relationship. As I continued to grow and mature, I found myself thinking about how these events have affected all of our lives. Sometimes I’m grateful for having a loving family and other times I feel guilty for not being physically present as much as I can. But I always miss her.

I want to make up for the time we lost almost 20 years ago and to make as many memories as possible during this lifetime. I know I can do better. I want her to know that I’m doing my best to make this a reality. In the meantime, this song is dedicated to her!