She is my rock, my little sister, and my forever best friend. I watched her grow and grow and grow. She was mischievous, always knowing exactly how to push the limits, especially with my mom. She had the cutest little smile and these bright blue eyes that somehow held the entire world in them.

As the years have passed, I have wiped her tears after a heartbreak, binged watched all of the Nicholas Sparks movies after buying her ice cream, rode all the rides in Disney World with her, and have had many early morning car rides to school as we treat ourselves to Starbucks. She is my best friend and I would do anything for her. She means the world to me and she deserves someone who makes her the center of his world and who knows her worth.

Yes, I may expect a lot from you, but more importantly I am thankful.

I am thankful that you have stepped up to the task of holding her hand, but I expect you to never let it go.

I am thankful that you have accepted the responsibility of protecting her heart, but I expect you to guard her heart with everything you have.

I am thankful that you have the desire to love her the rest of her days, but I expect you to challenge her and grow her as well.

I am thankful that you wish to be the reason she is smiling every moment, but I expect you to encourage her to also find other sources of joy and happiness.

I am thankful that you wish to become her support system when she is unable to handle everything that she is constantly striving for, but I expect you to always be striving to make her a better person.

I am thankful that you are willing to be her sunshine, but I expect that you will not stand in the way of her true savior and sunshine, Jesus.

I want you to know that you have found a girl that has a beautifully courageous soul. I’ll do whatever I must to keep that beautiful blue light in her eyes as bright as I see it when we are driving down the road being our silliest selves and singing loudly to a song we don’t even know. But I expect you to strive to do the same.

Thank you for loving her more than she ever thought a man could, but I expect that love to never run dry. I expect you to be the man she spent every night praying to God for. And trust me, I will not let her settle for less.