The Four-Way Test

South Hill Rotary Club
Alyssa Drohan, Winning Essay

Even though my sister is three years younger than me, I look up
to her. She is kind and understanding to everyone, especially me. It’s
amazing how truthful, fair, friendly, and helpful she is.
Truthfulness is a very important trait to have. If you always tell
the truth, people will trust you much more than if you do only
sometimes or never.

Your parents will let you be more independant. My sister is
truthful every day. She tells the truth even when it doesn’t benifit her.
She is truthful to my parents. She tells them if she got a bad grade in
school or if she watched TV while she was supposed to be doing
chores. My sister is truthful to me. She tells me if she broke something
of mine or got paint on my good jeans. If you tell the truth about
something bad that you’ve done, you won’t get in as much trouble as
if you lie about it. The person you lie to will always find out.
Fairness can help you out in many tough situations. When you
are fair, you are unbiased and just. My sister is fair when she is
playing with my brother and me. If my sister wants to watch one TV
show and I want to watch another, she will compromise. We either
find something we both like or switch back and forth between shows.
When she plays Littlest Pet Shop with my brother they both usually
want the big house. My sister suggests that one of them get the big
house and the other get all the little houses. My sister is fair in all she
does.

Friendship means a lot. If you have friends you will be much
happier than if you are by yourself. There are different kinds of
friends. My sister and I are true friends. She sticks with me through
everything. We do a lot of fun things together. We play soccer, we
practice martial arts, I help her practice for plays, sometimes we just
sit down together and read. I couldn’t ask for a better friend.
My sister is also helpful. When you’re helpful you know what
people need or want done and you do it. My sister is the most helpful
person I know. Whenever anyone needs anything she will go and do it.
She helps my mom by feeding the dogs, doing the dishes, and
straightening up around the house. She helps me by helping me get
my soccer-stuff ready and vacuuming my room. She helps with
everything.

My sister shows these traits all the time. She does it through her
words and her actions. I try to be more like her every day. I am so
happy to have a sister who is so truthful, fair, friendly, and helpful. I’d
never want a better sister.