To My Brother Who Was Once My Sister,

I am so proud of you and to call you my brother. It's a funny thing.

Although we are 9 years apart, I have been blessed to watch you grow up. To mature and develop into the person you were meant to be, and grow into the soul you were given. It has been a true pleasure and happiness to see you become the person you are today.

It was a cold night back in 2010, and you were watching me while mom and dad were gone. You tucked me in, said prayers with me, and you took a moment of silence, pondering if you should tell me or not. You kissed my head and told me you had something to tell me. I could see it in your eyes. The person you were born to be, waiting to come to the surface.

You leaned forward and said, “Mackenzie, that girl I bring around the house, I like her more than a friend. I love her.” I was quiet for a little bit and you asked if I understood. Little did you know, that I completely understood. And had been understanding for a year or so before you told me. It was in that point in time where I knew you were finding your place in life.

You used to tell me stories how you struggled to fit in as a child. Never seeming at place, or being comfortable with who you were. But ever since that night, the moment after bedtime stories, I have had the pleasure of watching you love yourself, and the reflection that looks back at you in the mirror.

Over the years, you have stood in the storm of society, coming out nothing but a bright light. Raising money for Human Rights Campaign, canvassing for gay rights, and even raising your own money for your top surgery. I have watched nothing but incredible things done by you. I have watched you love others, and accept people as they are like noone else.

You have taught me more than you could ever imagine. I am who I am today because of you. Your compassion, strength, and bravery is contagious, and you have shaped me into the Mackenzie that world knows.

I am so eager to see how far you will go in your next chapter. To think you literally transformed the person you were born as in this previous chapter, is pretty damn incredible. So many live their lives in the shadow of society and never create the change they wanted to see the world, but you have nonstop taken the world by storm and created your life worth living.

You make the world an incredible place to be.

Keep being you.