Let me tell you a funny story. Even though some of the information that I'm relaying is hearsay, it comes from reliable sources (I promise).

By the time I graced my family's lives with my presence, my mom had already had two boys. At the time, my oldest brother was 10, and my other brother, Jonathan, was seven. Jonathan had decided around the age of two that he wanted a little sister. Christmas after Christmas, he sat on Santa's lap asking why he didn't get a sister the last Christmas before and asked for one again every year. While my family anxiously awaited my arrival in April, Jonathan wrote a letter to my mom's doctor begging him to please go ahead and give my mom her baby because he was on Easter break and wanted to have time to play with his new baby sister--even though my parent's had chosen not to find out whether I was going to be a boy or a girl. I was born on Holy Thursday, so Jonathan made sure he went to Santa Claus the following Christmas to inform him that the Easter Bunny had taken care of bringing him a little sister!

Since I was now the baby of the family and the only girl, I was referred to as "Princess" and everybody treated me as such. After just a week, Jonathan stated that I was more like "The Queen." As we grew up, Jonathan and I were the typical sibling pair. I was the annoying little sister, and he was the older brother constantly getting on my nerves. Yet as we got older, into teenage, high school, college, and even adult years, I can honestly say that he was the first best friend that I ever had, and the truest one still to this day. The relationship that a baby sister has with her big brother is second to none, and even though no amount of "Thank You's" will ever be enough, it's at least worth a shot.

Thank you for always letting me be one of the boys.

No matter what, you were always down for a game of "stick" in the front yard. Even though you'd always hit the ball halfway down the street and be guaranteed a home-run, you made up for it by cutting me slack during my time up to bat. It wasn't always the same case when it came to playing James Bond on your Nintendo, but you were always my favorite person to play with.

Thank you for teaching me that, sometimes, life throws lemons.

Sometimes, life throws them, or sometimes it was you throwing actual lemons at me. Either way, you've always taught me to be a big girl, to stand my ground, and to always be on the lookout for what's next.

Thank you for being my role model.

You have taught me so much about motivation and determination without even realizing it. When you set your mind to something, you see it through, and that is something I've always admired.

Thank you for always having my best interest at heart.

Most girls think of their older brothers as being overly protective. Thankfully, you've never been that, and I appreciate that. You've always given my your honest opinion in any situation, but you've always let me make my decisions (which sometimes did turn into mistakes) on my own.

Thank you for always being my go-to for encouragement.

Some days its sending me a Ted talk, a YouTube song for finals week, or the latest TV news sensation (like the Leprechaun), but either way I can count on your encouragement to keep me motivated, and laughing, for days.

Thank you for never being more than a phone call or text message away.

Whether I need life advice, your opinion, a paper proofread, or just to talk, I know that I can always pick up the phone and call you as my phone-a-friend.

Thank you for being my biggest fan.

Whether it's encouraging me to go after something or comforting me when something doesn't go my way, I always know that you'll be on my side, continuing to cheer for me no matter what the playing field is or what the scoreboard looks like. This will always mean the most to me, and I hope that you know I will always be here for you just the same.