To The Young Lady That Marries My Brother,
This is important for you to hear because I want you to know how lucky you are to have my brother in your life. Not only is he the absolute best little brother I could have ever dreamed of, he is an incredible person in so many ways. You and I are both so blessed to have the good fortune of calling him our best friend for the rest of our lives.
Ever since he was born 30 months after myself, I have always imagined the woman he would eventually marry. I knew she would be pretty and smart, and not like most girls. She would have to be humble and kind, just like him, with respect and passion for things deemed important. A “family” girl would be a critical factor, not only for him, but for Mom as well. Mom and I have often envisioned she would complete with traits like self-respect, a sense of humor, and athleticism. It makes me so happy to know he found that.
I hope you enjoy driving around in loud trucks complete with camouflage interior and classic country music playing out the windows. As his sister, I always found that to be one of my memories with him when he would chauffer me from place to place (most of the time with a cash fee, of course). I hope you have time to go out with him to his favorite restaurants and that you are not afraid to order the meatiest, messiest thing on the menu, just like he does. I hope that you support his hobbies and interests, no matter how weird and random they tend to be.
My brother is one of the most driven, disciplined, caring, and intelligent people to ever cross my path. Having him in life has made every day a little less serious, and a lot more fun. He continues to give me so much to be proud of, and I know you will be no exception. As a part of our family, you will experience crazy family holidays that generally result in merciless wrestling tournaments among the “men” and chatting over appetizers and beverages with the ladies. Our sense of humor takes some warming up to and while Dad’s sarcasm may confuse you at first, I have never left one of these events feeling anything less than full (of food and love).
Together, you will live a life that is comprised of adventures big and small. One day could be hiking up local hills and the other could be camping on a mountain with nothing but a fire and ammunition. Meals will be clean with the exception of Hot Tamales to satisfy sweet teeth that we all know he will never outgrow.
He has worked hard his entire life to become the best version of himself and it deserves the world. There is nothing I am more excited for than watching him continue to change lives while improving his own. Congratulations on a life alongside the kid I grew up down the hall from.
Love,
His Sister
