Hey bro,

With a new year approaching, I've been thinking a lot about past ones: when we would shoot hoops in the driveway for hours and you would try to teach me dunk on the little hoop, when we sat on the couch one Christmas Eve looking at a "Far Side" comic book and somehow got the dry humor although we weren't even in middle school, and when you threw a snowball at my butt so hard it ripped my pants.

I've also been thinking, with tears in my eyes (honestly, as I'm writing this), that these things probably won't happen anymore, or at least not as much. You just graduated from college and moved into a house with your girlfriend, and you're a few hours farther away from me than you ever have been. In a couple years, I'll be graduating too, and probably doing something similar. We're not kids anymore, and it's been interesting (hard) learning to deal with that.

It's hard enough growing up on your own, having to face new challenges every day and being forced to take on new responsibilities you don't want to, but it's even harder growing up with someone you love, and having to watch them fly away.

Since you were older, I saw you do everything first, and I don't know if it was a typical little-sibling thing or what, but I decided to do everything differently. For this reason, you disagree with a lot of my decisions, and I disagree with a lot of yours, but that doesn't mean I respect you any less.

We've always been good at arguing, and now that we're old enough to know better, we do it even more. Maybe it's because our parents don't make us separate and sit on the stairs anymore, or maybe it's because we think that the issues we face today are a bigger deal than which GameCube game we should play (I always wanted Mario Party, you always wanted something more action-y). But just because we have more adult arguments, and feel more comfortable saying things we probably shouldn't, doesn't mean I love you any less.

We're both pretty stubborn, so we both always think we're in the right. This definitely isn't always true, but it doesn't stop us from giving each other advice on how the other should live. I know I rarely heed your advice, but that doesn't mean I don't listen. I also know you rarely heed my advice, and although I still hope that someday you'll turn around and do exactly what I think you should, I realize that probably won't happen. But just because you don't do things exactly how I would doesn't mean I support you any less.

People, including our parents, say we're polar opposites, and for the most part, they're right. I went Greek after you said you never would; you graduated early when I say love college; I love movies and you don't, etc. Although sometimes I might say your music sounds like it belongs in a theme park, and you sometimes say my music "couldn't get any more hipster," it doesn't mean much at all. Just because we disagree doesn't mean I think you're stupid, in fact our differences only make me appreciate you more.

When I was younger, despite all these things, I wanted to be with you all the time. Growing up, I acted like I didn't want to, but I still did. I didn't really dislike your first girlfriend, I resented the fact that she as who you spent your time with. In fact, I resented anything or anyone that pulled you away from me, because you were my brother: the only person who grew up by my side and went knew me before anyone else did.

I now realize that trying to control you is foolish: you have a life and I have mine. But that doesn't mean that I don't want you in it. I want you in my life as much as possible, no matter what roads we take. I cherish the times when we go on drives and I show you my gangster rap, and I cherish the times you say you actually like the songs even more. Every summer I look forward to floating the river with you and getting in ice cube fights. Now that we're getting older, these occasions are getting fewer and farther between. Sometimes that's tough, but when I think about it, it only makes them more special. Hopefully, someday we'll play NBA Live 2005 again in the basement, but until that day comes, I just want you to know this:

I am so thankful for you. I am so thankful for the little boy you were that I got to grow up with and am so proud of the man you have become. Just because you and I are different, doesn't mean we're not alike, because, in a lot of ways, we are. Someday you might be all I have, so I'll try harder to show you I appreciate all that you are and do. I wish the best for you, and remember that you only deserve the absolute best life has to offer you (if it's not the best, walk the f*ck away). You were my best friend and role model then, and you still are.

I love you, and I'll see you in our driveway by the mini-hoop.