To My Younger Brother, Now That We're Both Older

I'm writing this for you because even though we're all grown up now, I still find myself thinking about the days back when we'd play pretend with all of our toys, wishing we'd grow up faster. I'm writing this because I remember the days we'd bounce on the trampoline until the sky overhead turned pitch black, reaching for the stars as if one of them may hold the key to the future. I remember that night out in the pouring rain and thunder when we ran from yard to yard with our neighbors because this suburb was ours, and we wouldn't let any weather stop us from having our fun. I remember Uppy-And-Downy, Mission On, and blaps, all the silly tactics we invented to avoid sleeping at night because our imaginations never rested. I remember how we fought all too well, but we made up every time because that's what best friends do.

And now that we're older, I'm off at college and you're finishing up high school. Every visit home to you is like winning the lottery. It's worth a million dollars and more when I walk through the front door and you pick me up and spin me around, sometimes before I've even set down my luggage. I've never smiled bigger than in those moments because then, everything comes flooding back to my memory, and I remember how lucky I am to have you in my life. The best part is seeing how different you are every time I'm home, finding out what's new in your life, and seeing how you've changed in my absence.

I'm writing this to you because you should know how much you mean to me, even more so now than ever. Always know I'm proud of you. Distance can't break our bond, just like the rain couldn't stop our fun. Distance only drives us closer to one another.