It's always fun having younger siblings in your life, whether you're the oldest of everyone or just older than some and younger than others. Older siblings add guidance to your life, and younger siblings add a little bit of humor. They were always the ones you picked on in good fun and joked around with, carrying on the traditions that your older siblings imposed upon you. They were there for countless movie nights, sleepovers during thunderstorms, late night drives to fast food restaurants to cure cravings, many rants about everything under the moon, and all your stupidity that you can't fully let out in public, but you can around them because they're required to love you anyway. Time seemed to slip by too fast.

Growing up, you always felt it was your duty to protect them. If there was a playground bully, you were there to put them in their place. If there was a rumor, you were there to be sure people knew the truth, as well as to be sure they passed on the message. If someone broke their hearts, you comforted your siblings while subtweeting before blocking that person so they knew they were no longer welcome back. You would defend them to the ends of the Earth and make sure not a single hair on their head was harmed, whether they were aware of it at all times or not. They are some of your very favorite people in the world, and you couldn't stand to see anything but the best come their way.

Which is why when they got their license, you were worried like your own mother about their safety. Why it felt like they shouldn't be old enough to be allowed to operate an entire vehicle by themselves.

It's why when they went through their senior years, graduating at or near the top of their classes, you beamed with pride yet felt sad they were going off to college and would no longer be there when you take weekend trips home from yours.

It's why when they actually did go off to college, you have to restrain yourself from asking them every five minutes how they're doing, what they did that day, if they were having fun, how many friends they made, what their names are, how classes are going, and more.

To you, they're you're baby siblings. They're supposed to stay home forever. They're supposed to be young forever. They aren't supposed to grow up and move out and do all the things associated with being an adult. They're supposed to never drive, never go to college, never graduate, never not be waiting at home. It all feels wrong.

Of course, though, you are glad they get to experience all this life has to offer. It's a conflicting feeling, really, wanting the best for your younger siblings but having to watch them grow up to experience it. You want them to experience what you have, but you also don't want them to be adults. Part of you feels like you're their parents, too, since you watched them grow up all this time. There was never a time they didn't know you, and never a time that you didn't know what they were up to. You love them to the ends of time, and you don't want the world to hurt them in the ways it can, even though you know they are strong enough to make it through regardless. It goes back and forth in your head constantly, the battle between letting them grow up and wanting them to stay young.

To my younger siblings, I hope you know that I love you a lot. I would throw words with anyone who tried to hurt you, belittle you, talk down on you, or anything of the sort. In fact, I would throw hands in a heartbeat. I do not tolerate any mistreatment of you, and won't be afraid to hold my tongue if I ever saw it. Even if we fight and argue over who is right, or go to rival colleges, or move halfway across the country from each other for a little bit, I am always here and I won't hesitate to book a flight if you ever came calling. I think the world of you both. I think you're both incredibly smart, gifted, talented, handsome/beautiful, funny, fun to be around, and all around wonderful humans. You are both hardworking and I believe you can get anything that you set your minds to. I want whoever you end up with to think the same things and somehow, I hope they love you more than I do (even though I'm not entirely convinced that's possible).

I hope that you call me if you're ever in trouble, text me if you need advice, and send me funny memes that we can laugh at. I hope you take all that this world has to offer you and use every opportunity that comes your way. I hope you find happiness so deep that it can only be called pure joy. I hope you laugh hard and make new friends everywhere you go, as I know you will with the personalities you have. I hope that you stay true to you no matter what anyone else says and never compromise your beliefs or integrity just to fit in. I hope you never forget about your dear older sister, and every once in awhile you give me some updates and let me hang out with you and bother you, even when you feel too cool for me. I want good things for you both so bad you might as well call me mom and dad.

Never forget how much I love and care about you. Never hesitate if you need someone to talk to me. Never think twice about visiting me.

And finally, please, never grow up too much.