To my younger brother,

You are entering your junior year of high school, so even though you have two full years left, grade school days are quickly coming to a close. It may seem like you have all the time in the world to hang out with your friends, run in cross country meets, sleep in your own bed, and not think about college; but in reality, time is going to fly by during your last years of high school.

I’m telling you this because I want you to truly enjoy your high school days. It might seem like a drag – the waking up at six in the morning, the long hours spent in that brick building, and the late nights finishing homework and studying – but it’s not all that bad. High school will get harder and nights will get later, so I hope you cherish these days that you have. I did not realize how fast time went by in high school until I was walking across the stage to accept my diploma. Now I am entering my second year of college, and guess what? Time is still flying. Summer break went by in the blink of an eye. I did not get to do all the things that I wanted to do this summer, but I did try to make the most out of each day.

The things that I miss the most about high school are seeing my friends every day, running cross-country meets with my wonderful teammates, coming home most days to a yummy home-cooked meal, being able to see the faces of our animals every day, and curling up in my big, comfy bed. I hope that you get to spend a lot of time with your good friends while I am away at college. I encourage you to work hard each day at cross country practice, but also to make sure that you are enjoying yourself (as much as can come out of running until your body hurts all over). I plead that you at least try to eat most of mom’s homemade dinners. I think that you should find time to walk your puppy every day and enjoy seeing that cute, little, devil-face. Most of all, I hope that at the end of each day you can smile and be satisfied with how you spent it.

There’s a quote sang by “The Script” that goes, “time flies, but you’re the pilot.” You have the power to choose how you spend your days. Just remember to not take advantage of the time that you have. Spend less time in front of screens and more time outside and talking to people face-to-face. I hope that you cherish your last years of high school, and don’t worry too much about college yet – you have plenty of time to solidify your future as a garbage man.

Love,
Your older sister