Dear baby brother,

When you were born, I was so excited. I was only 4, and I was so ready to have a younger brother. And when you were just a baby, I held you and loved you. I wanted to be around you, except when you cried, then I would beg dad to make it stop. But slowly, I started to dislike you. You were taking all of mom and dad's attention, and as you got older, you ALWAYS wanted to be around me.

By the time I was 6, and you were 2, I was pestering you and always messing with you. I was getting fed up with you and I kinda wanted to hit you all the time. As we got older, we fought constantly. I messed with you and hit you and pranked you all the time. I'd chase you through the house, and you were scared of me. Mom always told me that as we grew up, that would stop and we would start getting along better. I never believed her.

But out of nowhere, it happened. We started talking more, and you started coming to me for advice. At first, it was about school. What classes to take, which teachers were best, and things like that. Then, it was girls. You got your first girlfriend, and I was helping you pick out gifts for her for birthday's, Christmas, and anniversaries. And when you and that girlfriend broke up, I listened to you talk about it. I told you it was her loss and that if you needed to cry to me, you could. When all of that happened, you managed to grow up a lot. You're so smart, and you became so mature.

Then, when my ex left me a week after your breakup, you held me while I bawled on the floor. You let me cry into your chest while you told me it was his loss. You asked me to drive you to his house so you could kick his ass, even though you're only 15 and he's 22. You constantly made sure I was eating. You'd let me come into your room at 1 a.m. just to talk to you and get my mind off of everything I was feeling.

And in the five months since then, I've realized not only have you become my best friend, but you've become a man I'm so proud of. I know I didn't raise you, but I like to think I've helped play a part in how you've grown up. And I want you to know that I would move mountains for you to succeed in life. In two years when you graduate high school, it will be one of the proudest days of my life. I can't wait to watch you keep growing and pursuing your dreams.

I know I don't say it enough, but I love you and I'm so proud of you.