To my little brother: I want you to know that I am crazy proud of you. Watching you grow from a feisty little 7 year old, to the kind, respectful, smart 15-year-old that you are now has been the best thing ever. You are going places, kid. I know high school was a scary move from little ol’ Tenkiller Elementary, but look at how well you have transitioned!

I cannot tell you how happy hearing all your crazy stories about your favorite classes make my heart happy. It’s a scary world out here… take it from me, your big sister, who seems to mess up and make mistakes a little too often.

I want to give you a very important piece of advice: Live your life like nobody is watching. Go your own way, and make lots of mistakes. Do what makes YOU happy. Make your life choices based on how they will affect you in the long run, because that’s what matters in the end. Be smart, but live BOLDLY. Take risks, especially if the possible outcome is something beautiful. Girls are stupid. Stay single for the rest of your life (kidding).

Don’t be that jerk that all the other boys are. Be respectful to girls or I’ll kick your butt. Anyway… Make it your daily goal to be immensely happy, because there is too much beauty in this world, and you’ll miss out on so much by focusing on the negative. I know this whole thing seems a little girly, but I just want you to know that you make me proud every single day, and I will ALWAYS support every decision you make. You wanna be a rapper? I’ll be front row at every show. You wanna be a pro football player? You better believe I’ll be at every game. Whatever direction you choose to go in life, I will never cease to be your biggest fan.

You have changed my life in all the best ways, and I could never be more thankful for that. I want to say thank you, because you do so much to make sure big sis is taken care of. Thank you for braving the monsters in the dark at night to run out to my car and get my phone charger. Thank you for sitting on my bed and letting me cry on your shoulder about some boy that screwed me over.

Thank you for always standing up for me, and for threatening everyone that has ever done me wrong. Thanks for eating all my lucky charms, because I don’t need the extra sugar. Thanks for trying to teach me how to play video games, even though we both know I’ll never be good at those. Thank you for letting me do your makeup with foundation that is five shades lighter than your actual skin tone, and thank you for being my constant source of entertainment.

If you can’t tell, I sort of love you a lot, and I am so beyond thankful that God blessed me with you. My door is always open. My advice may not always will be what you wanna hear, but it will always be real. Always. Love you, little bro.