Like Rachel Green, it can sometimes be difficult to say how much you care about a person because in reality you care a great deal about them. I am still extremely contentious about the final episodes of Friends, however, I feel that the message and idea behind Rachel’s apparent overlook of Ross should not go amiss. Feelings are some of the most difficult things to articulate because they aren’t always black-and-white answers to give or to find. It’s easy enough for me to say that my brother is one of the most important people in my life, whether he knows it or not (or likes it, for that matter). But to express that is another task entirely, so bear with me as I try to do just that.

Growing up, I think it is easy enough to say that we were opposed to each other, as all siblings naturally are. The difference with us, however, was that while we are pretty much worlds apart in personality, we are in the same general area socially, and because of that, we were able to stay pretty close. One of the things I believe my brother has been trying to overcome, however, is my shadow, which I am in no way suggesting is great in any way. I merely mean to state that he joined the same church youth group that had helped me become the man I am today, and because of that, he kept being asked to elaborate on all of the shenanigans that I had gotten up to when I was his age.

I would be lying if I said I haven’t been jealous of him, of course. I have secretly always wanted to be a great athlete, but deep down, I simply don’t feel as connected to a group of athletes as I would to a group of gamers. I admire the level of respect that all of his friends forward onto him, not that my close-knit and ever-expanding group of friends do not respect me to the same level. But I am jealous of his friends, however, because I cannot help thinking that they know their friend better than I know mine.

I am not saying I know what it feels like to be the younger brother that’s always left behind, but I would warrant that I know all too well what it feels like to be the older brother that is. I’ve tried to reach out to you, to keep up a conversation, and all you’ve done is kind of let those lines of contact go. I need you to know how much I love you and care about how you’re doing. The great thing about college is that it’s a new start for everyone: but that doesn’t mean that everything before wasn’t your life alone. Just because people knew who I was doesn’t mean they respected you any less. On the contrary, they wanted to get to know you even more, to find out the kind of person you were deep down. We both know how it feels to be “Fred’s son,” or “Karen’s son,” or “Peg and Terry’s grandson,”or “Fred and Maureen’s grandson,” etc. You get the idea. But just because we have those modifiers added to ourselves, it doesn’t take away from who we are, or who we plan to become. It’s just a start, a step-up, in some ways.

I know you’re going to do great things at Skidmore. They are lucky to have you. And no pressure or anything, but Clark would have been a little better with another Lynch on campus (just saying)mm. Words just can’t really express fully how much you mean to me, and how happy I am to see you off at school now, getting ready to start a new chapter in your life. I know this is probably gonna feel like this is coming out of left field, so I understand if you’re a little taken aback when you read this XD. Just know that I’m always available to talk if you need anything at all, along with a bunch more Clarkies here, because by virtue of caring about me, they also really care about you, too. If I remember my second Odyssey article correctly, it was about never truly being alone, especially in crowds, which everyone always says. Isn’t it a little weird to say that you feel alone, when you could turn in any direction and speak to a bunch of people you are also in your position, or have been there, and who care so much about being at that school that they are more than willing to talk to you? I certainly have questioned that notion, not that I would ever follow up on that, being the massive hypocrite that I am sometimes.

Anyway, live your life the way you see fit, AKA, the only way you should be living it. That being said, never feel like you are totally cut off, because while I am not physically there to talk to you, I am digitally only a few clicks away, and it would make my day if you did decide to reach out and ask me something, however trivial.

I have said it many times in this article and plan to say it many more, but I love you dearly, and I wish you the best of luck at Skidmore.

See you in December, bro.

Love,

Henry