When I was just under two years old, my parents had another baby girl. Growing up, we shared a room, clothes, toys and usually thoughts. Ruthie is my perfect other half and I am so lucky to have her. I'm equally lucky that when I was seven my parents had a baby boy. A lot of kids resent the new baby for taking up their mommy's attention. I was never mad at Richie for that, but I was always very frustrated. He wasn't a Ruthie; we weren't the same. He ruined things; my things. He was loud and had acid reflux which added to the fussiness. As he got older things got worse at first. "Terrible Two's" was an understatement for this kid and his bad behavior stage lasted well until he was seven himself. We just weren't compatible and I know that I wasn't as nice as I should have been.

Flash forward about five years. I left for college last fall and live about three hours away from my family and the little brother that used to drive me crazy. It wasn't until my third trip home for spring break that it hit me all at once. The little boy in front of me wasn't even close to a little boy anymore. Richie had fully descended into being a little old man in a twelve-year-old's body.The shock that his seemingly sudden growth had given me led me to actually stay up all night long thinking about the life that I have accompanied him through. I was lucky to have Ruthie to grow up with, but I get to watch Richie's entire life unfold.

So to the man that my brother is becoming, thank you for letting me be a part of you becoming you. When you were born, you were our human baby doll. When you were two, you tripped in the driveway and bit a hole through your lip and scared us all to death. When you were four I accidentally threw you out of the golf cart, (sorry bud). When you started middle school, I graduated high school. This past year you had your first crush and valentine which really freaked us all out. You have a hell of an arm when it comes to baseball. I look forward to that call that I get from you about once a month because each time I talk to you it's like meeting someone new. You change so much from time to time and it has been so amazing to see that change. You're getting close to being as tall as me and your vocabulary is damn near better than mine.

To the man my brother is becoming, I am so excited to know you. I learn something new about you every single day and I know that who you are now is just a glimpse into who you are going to be in a few years. I can't believe that I will have been out of college (hopefully) for three years by the time you graduate high school. It seems so far away but so did my graduation and here we are. You've got so many things to look forward to. Homecomings and proms, getting your license, going to football games, your first job and having a girlfriend. I went through all of these firsts with Ruthie, so her and I just had to wing it, at least now I can offer a little bit of advice on how everything goes.

Lastly, to the man my brother is becoming, don't rush it. Your twelve years has already felt like a lifetime for me, but I know it's been a drop in the bucket to all the years you have coming. Relax please, you sprinting to high school and then to graduate is my crawl to get into the real world and start a career, and neither of us needs that to happen anytime soon. Enjoy being a kid because you are going to be such a great man when the time comes. Love you, bubba.