Having my younger brother around in high school had its ups and downs, but my experience wouldn’t have been the same without him. We had a rocky relationship growing up, we just didn’t see eye-to-eye, and we were both incredibly competitive. When our parents split, however, we developed an unexpected bond with one another, and suddenly became best friends. I woke up an extra half hour early before school to make my brother’s breakfast, pack his lunch, and get him up and ready for school. It wasn’t something I had to do, but I wanted him to know I’d be there to take care of him no matter what, and that was my way of communicating it. As college began to approach faster and faster however, I began to worry that my leaving would be too hard on him.

In High School, I watched my friend’s older siblings leave for college, and saw the toll that had on not only my friends, but on their family. I vowed that I would never cut my family off when I left for college, and that I would talk to them every day. As it turns out, that isn’t a promise that I can keep. My schedule is all over the place. I don’t have a consistent time that I am free, ever. Some days get lost in a haze of studying in at my desk, and before I know it, it’s 1:00 a.m. and I can’t make phone calls home anymore. Then sometimes I won't be awake before noon, and if I want to call home, I’ll have to wait until the middle of my day so that I don’t interrupt anyone else’s schedule. I still forget that my brother actually attends school and text him in the middle of the day all the time to check in. Which always follows with a response to the effect of “I’m in class, go away.” Oops.

So I’d like to formally apologize to my younger brother. I haven’t forgotten about you. I think about you everyday. I have pictures of us all over my room. I’m so proud of who you are and everything you’ve accomplished. You’re a total rock star. I know middle school can be pretty brutal, and high school won’t be a walk in the park either. But you’ve totally got this, and I’m always here to help however I can.

Leaving a sibling behind is not easy. I planned on calling all the time, Skype, texting, I’d be there at the drop of a hat. Once I got into the swing of things at school however, communication slowed down significantly. It wasn’t that I’d forgotten about my family, I just got so busy that by the time I had a minute to call, everyone at home was fast asleep.

We college students haven’t forgotten about you guys. In fact, we think about our families all the time. College is fast-paced, to say the least, and unfortunately, communication is one of the first things to fall through the cracks when things get tough. So set a reminder, put it on your calendars, and make that extra effort to contact the people you have at home. Remind your siblings that they are important to you, and that you haven’t forgotten about them.