I begged my mum to 'give me' a sister. I had three brothers, and from an early age I thought that a sister would complete me. She arrived when I was 10 and it was the best thing and still is the best thing ever. That’s not to say that we don’t tear each other apart verbally on a regular basis or that we have the perfect sibling relationship.
Now I watch her, in her early twenties, being glamorous, having a boyfriend and going to parties – and I do feel like she’s doing her twenties better than me. Still, she is making many of the same mistakes as me, in an almost eerily identical fashion. I tell her to be assertive, to fight her corner. I am her drill sergeant. I write lists, I tell her exactly what she needs to do to get herself sorted. I make sure she writes, that she is creating her own work and isn’t waiting for anyone to give her a break in our ridiculous industry that is entertainment. I am boring and stable and encourage her to do work and be healthy and focused.
There have definitely been times when our stages of life have been at odds with each other. But it seems to always get back on track.