Hey boys.

I hope you guys are all doing well. It’s weird not seeing you guys at my house every weekend or not seeing you walking around the hallways at school. When I moved away to college, I thought I was leaving just my little brother behind, but it feels like I left all of you guys behind, too.

You have all grown up with me and I see you all as little brothers. That means I care about what you’re doing, and I care that you’re safe. I care that you’re making good choices. High school can cause trouble, especially when you’re with the wrong people.

All of you guys are juniors now, and that means it’s time for all of the college things to start. You’ll spend multiple weekends taking the ACT and going on college visits, and while it seems overwhelming now, try to enjoy it. Once you pick a college and you move away, your future really begins. Enjoy being young now and spend time with your friends but at the same time, take your future seriously. As far away as it seems, it’s closer than you think.

I hope you guys are making good decisions with the girls in your lives. Too many guys today treat girls like crap, but I like to think that you guys wouldn’t be like that. Always treat your girlfriend with respect. Treat her like a princess that deserves to be cherished -- because she is. Don’t take her for granted because that’s how you’ll lose her. Be chivalrous. Open the car door for her. Give her your jacket when she’s cold. Act like a true man, and that’s how you’ll keep her.

By this time, you should be taking sports seriously, too. I know a lot of you are involved in sports, and some of you are involved in more than one. College scouts will start coming to your games to check you out and see if you have what it takes to be a collegiate athlete. Of course you want to play your best while they’re there. Even if you don’t want to play in college, you should still be taking the game seriously. Don’t blow someone else’s chance just because you don’t care.

Keep looking out for each other. I’ve known you guys forever, and I know you all care about each other. Make sure that doesn’t change. We all need people to look after us, especially when life gets tough. Everybody goes through rough patches, and it’s important to have friends to pick you up when that happens.

Enjoy the rest of your junior year. Before you know it, the year will be over, and then you’ll be seniors. Spend as much time as possible with your friends and family as you make memories and have fun. Always know that I’m here for you guys, if you ever need a big sister in your life to talk to or give you advice.