To all my crazy little siblings,

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: college is hard. Very hard. Juggling classes, clubs, community service, gym time, homework, and socialization is quite the feat. But the hardest part is being away from you guys. I picked a school away from home on purpose in order to grow as an individual. But going away was hard, and it hasn’t been much easier. I still think about you every day, and wish I could somehow be with you and be here at the same time. Skype and FaceTime are nice, but I am counting down the days until I get to see your smiling faces in person again.

It is safe to say that I would not be where I am today without all of you. I’m the older one, so I should be espousing my wisdom onto you. But in reality, it was definitely the other way around. You taught me patience every time my video game file was deleted after letting you play, all those years ago. You taught me joy just by being yourselves and finding happiness in the simplest of things. But most importantly, you taught me what it means to love. My bond with each and every one of you is something incredible and I’ve never felt anything like it.

I think the hardest part about leaving you all is not seeing you grow up anymore. Whether you’re starting kindergarten, middle school, or your first sports team, I miss being there for the landmark occasions. I would even appreciate one of those freezing cold baseball games on the bleachers that feel like slabs of ice. I’m away so I can grow up, but I didn’t anticipate what it would be like when the rest of you kept growing up too. Being away from each other isn’t all bad, it just means that our time we do have together is more valuable. It’s impossible to fit the eight months I’m away in the four months I’m back, but we’re going to try.

I’ve loved being by your side every step of the way in your life. It may have been quite the struggle sometimes, but that’s the duty of an older sibling, and I accepted it willingly. Just because you don’t see me every day, doesn’t mean I’m not thinking about you all the time and I’m not there in spirit. If something major happens, I’m only a phone call away and would love to hear about it.

I don’t regret my decision of going away for college, but I do miss you every day. I know this letter may fall on deaf ears. Some of you are too young to read yet and some of you are too young to truly understand what I’m trying to tell you. But maybe when you leave for college in seven, nine, eleven, thirteen, and sixteen years from now, you could go back, read this letter, and give me a call. Until then, I’ll keep studying, working hard and making you all proud.

Love,

Your Crazy Older Brother