Dena & Addysen

“How Long Will You Be My Big?”
That was the question Little Sister Addysen asked when she first met Big Sister Dena.

Dena’s answer was simple: “As long as you’ll have me.”

That was in 2018, when Addysen was just six years old. More than eight years later, Dena has kept her promise.

What began as a school-based match has grown into a lasting friendship filled with theatre, nail spas, gelato, crafts, adventures, and plenty of M&Ms. Along the way, Dena and Addysen have navigated new homes, new schools, growing families, and changing interests—while staying connected through it all.

“I would follow her to the moon!” Dena says.

Their friendship got an unexpected test in 2020, when schools closed and their school-based match transitioned to a community-based match. But the change only gave them more opportunities to spend time together. Over the years, they have gone indoor rock climbing and lobstering, made countless crafts, attended Maine State Music Theatre shows, shared meals, and continued discovering new things about each other.

And it all started with two nervous girls who weren’t quite sure what to expect.

“I didn’t know if she would like me or what we would do!” Dena remembers.

Addysen remembers it too: “You walked in, and I wondered who you were.”

Fortunately, the nerves didn’t last long. Within five minutes, they were chatting and playing basketball. Before long, Addysen was proudly introducing Dena to everyone they passed in the school hallway as “my Big Sister.”

Today, Dena describes Addysen as smart, inquisitive, empathetic, and intuitive.

“I love having her as my Little. This is it. We will be in each other’s lives forever.”

Addysen feels just as strongly about their friendship. When she grows up, she says she wants to become a Big Sister herself “so more kids can get what I have.”

Dena also credits Addysen’s mom, Lindsey, for helping make their match so successful.

“It takes a lot of courage to let another adult into your child’s life,” Dena says. From the very beginning, Lindsey has been supportive of their relationship. Today, Dena says, their relationship feels less like a match and more like family.

Both Dena and Addysen are grateful for the years they’ve shared—and agree on many of the important things in life, including one very important rule: butter makes everything better.

Of course, no friendship is without its differences. And after all these years, Addysen still hasn’t managed to convince Dena that Boba Tea is worth drinking.

Some things, apparently, take a little longer than eight years.

Follow along on social media to learn more about Dena and Addysen’s story leading up to Big Night Out on November 6, when we’ll celebrate their friendship and honor them with their Big & Little of the Year award.