My Sister, the Rose Queen
This wasn’t just any ordinary Sunday morning. My older sister, Irene, shook my shoulder to wake me up. “C’mon, it’s about to start!” she yelled. It was New Year’s Day, and six-year-old me finally relented and got out of bed. I joined her and the rest of my family to watch the Rose Parade. As we watched, she was fixated on one person in particular: the Rose Queen. We both watched in awe as the Rose Court waved royally to the stands. “That’s going to be me one day,” Irene said. Even then, I knew Irene was smart, determined, and could achieve this. When she told me she’d be Rose Queen, I believed her.
Fast forward eight years later to October 27, 2026, a day my family, friends, and neighbors will never forget. Irene Maddox, my older sister, was announced Rose Queen! I watched in admiration as the crown was placed on her head. To me, Irene becoming Rose Queen means much more than having a sister with an honorable title. It means watching someone I’ve looked up to my entire life step into a position where so many others will look up to her as well.
While being the Rose Queen may have changed how others view her, at home and at school she is still the same Irene I have grown up with. Of course, having a sister as Rose Queen brings a few unexpected changes. At school I often get asked, “Are you the Rose Queen?” I have to tell them, “No, that’s just my sister,” though sometimes I'll say “ Yes I am, how did you know?” Honestly, having a sister who is Rose Queen has given me a bit of fame at school, and I’m not complaining. But there’s so much more to Irene than the title, crown, and fancy dresses. She’s been an avid reader for as long as I can remember, as she’s interested in many fun and fascinating things. She has introduced me to much that I would have never discovered on my own. Even though she’s now Rose Queen, to me, she is still the same person who introduces me to new things, bosses me around, and takes out the trash.
As New Year's Day is approaching, instead of my family watching it from our TV, my dad, mom, and I will be there in person, watching Irene ride down in the float. The same girl who once watched the Rose Queen in reverence, will now be the one to wear the crown. Getting to watch Irene achieve a dream she’s had since childhood is something I’ll never forget.
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