Hey Bud,
You're growing up just a little bit too fast that I'm having a hard time catching up. It's hard to believe that you're a legal adult. You're old enough to vote. You're off at college. Like, what?!? Where did the past 18 years go? I just wanted to take the time to tell you how proud I am of you and to hopefully give you some words of encouragement as you enter this new and exciting time of your life. You've become this amazing, strong, resourceful, smart, funny, and dare I say, handsome dude who I can't believe is all grown up. I miss you like heck. Our age difference was always something I was thankful for because I was the older sibling. I got to drive first and that was pretty awesome because I had my own car for a while. But then you decided to turn sixteen and we had to share a car and we would fight over who got to use it to go see our friends. I got to be the guinea pig of our family, like getting a chunky flip phone to suffer through for two years while your first phone was an iPhone. I got the iPod with the spinny wheel and you got the one with the big fat screen.
You're no longer the little guy who used to follow me around and do whatever I said. You've grown into your own person who can think for himself and will stand behind those beliefs. Sure, we've got our differences and those have led to some pretty heated arguments, but looking back on them I see them as a time when we were challenging each other. We pushed each other to think a different way.
I am so thankful for you because you are like a built-in best friend that I don't need to always talk to, but when I do, I'll tell you everything, even more than I tell mom and dad because that's just what siblings do. We're each other's best secret keepers. I remember crashing on your bed every now and then and we would just lay there and talk about whatever, whether that be friends, a crush, an issue with the parentals, etc. We would talk about what we wanted to do in the future, if we wanted to return to our hometown or go somewhere else, what kind of job we wanted, a house we dreamed of living in. We'd even reminisce about the good ole days with our many stuffed animals and the family vacations we would go on with dad dragging us around to see the sights and taking too many unattractive pictures to count.
That was back in high school, or when I would come home from breaks and you still lived there. Now look at us. We've both flown the coop and have officially left our parents empty nesters. I hope you enjoy this time of your life. It's monumental, huge, and definitely life-changing. I'm excited to see who your friends will be, how your roommates turn out, how hard your classes are, the fun activities you'll do and the memories you'll create. You're starting this whole new different life and at the moment you're sort of a blob, ready to be molded by these new people and experiences you're about to encounter. I can't wait to see how your worldviews will change, if your passions will develop further, what more you'll come to learn about yourself, and to see your faith challenged. Of course I want you to find a girl, but the truth is that I don't believe that there's anyone out there who will be good enough for you. They say an older brother is to be feared, but they've severely underestimated an older sister.
This is a time where I can only give you so much advice as to what to pack and what you'll need to survive on your own. There's so much that I still want to be apart of, but I can't tell you who to talk to or what to believe anymore. Rather, you've got a good head on your shoulders and I can't tell you how proud I am of you. I'd like to believe that I played a part in raising you. Hopefully I still make an impact on you every once in a while. Yet, I see how you have grown into your own individual person and I have learned so much from you as well. You've taught me about patience and strength. You are someone to be admired. You're the charismatic one of the family, the one who everyone can't help but say wonderful things about and who everyone likes. You've got a solid group of people standing behind you. I've watched you struggle through some of the hardest moments in life and I couldn't help but feel helpless as I stood back because you didn't really need me. You are stronger than I will ever be, and I don't mean that literally (although I always find it funny when others think you're the older one of us). I see your determination, your values that are rock solid and grounded on a firm foundation. Your faith shines so bright that it's one of the first and lasting things that sticks with others.
It's honestly a little bittersweet as I think of how much our lives are changing. We're growing up and I feel as though it shouldn't be happening, not yet. Just know that I am so excited for you and I love you so very much.
Always,
your older sister.
