Big/Little Revelation

Last week, Tri Delta hosted its Big/Little Revelation, where the new members were finally paired with older members as their "bigs."  After a week of anonymous goodies and treats, the new members were told to dress up as something specific and search through the Tri Delta house for their "match!"  

To me, the big/little relationship is something that is often underestimated.  As a senior, I've been the little, the big, the grandbig and now the great-grandbig (holy crap, I'm old), and I can honestly say these relationships are some of the strongest I've found in Tri Delt.  I'll never forget meeting my littles during recruitment and instantly telling all my friends, "She has to go Tri Delt and she has to be my little."  Lucky for me, they both did and I can't imagine it any other way.

A big is someone who can answer all the daunting questions of freshman year for you.  She's always there to greet you with a smile and a hug when you walk into the house of 300 girls you still don't know that well, and she always knows exactly what you should wear to the function.  Still, it's much more than that.  If you're lucky like I was, your littles will end up becoming your best friends.  Sometimes, it's hard to tell who's the "big" and who's the "little," since I swear they've got it more together than me.

The point is that having a big is one of those special things that is unique to sorority life and shouldn't be taken for granted.  Take it from one of our own members who became a big last week.  Here's part of the letter she wrote to her littles that I believe is pretty indicative of how great it really is! 

"My sweet little,

Finally! I have been waiting since the day I met you for you to become my little. It's been the hardest thing not to call you the last few days and ask to hang out. All of the older girls always talk about how perfect their little is and how much they love them. I always thought they were crazy... until I met you. You are BEAUTIFUL, funny, smart, crazy outgoing, and I could not be more excited that you chose to become a Tri Delta. You have such a bright future here in this house and at this university... and I cannot wait to be a part of it and watch you excel and grow.  I have met some of the most ridiculous, hilarious, and inspiring friends in this place. I have been challenged and pushed way out of my comfort zone. But most importantly, I have learned to have an overwhelming amount of respect and love for these crazy girls that come in all shapes, sizes, backgrounds, and beliefs. Please give these girls a chance to love you and be your sisters and change your life. This first year at college is going to be absolutely insane. You will learn and grow and change even more. I promise that you will make some stupid decisions but you'll make infinitely more brilliant ones. I also promise that I will be there to giggle and love you through each and every one of them. You were picked from the bunch to be a Tri Delta for a reason and there is no doubt in my mind that you have a place in this house and that you will excel. I cannot wait to see all of the amazing things that you will do!

Here's to the world's best little, your next four years, and a lifetime of sisterhood and friendship. 

I love you to the crescent moon and back a thousand times.

DL, your big"

I'd also like to give a HUGE thank you to Colby Carter and Mary Kate Korpita for all of their hard work with the new member and sponsorship process.  You two are absolutely unsung heroes of the chapter and deserve to know how wonderful you both are!