Little Brother,

You're not so little anymore, so can I really call you my "little" brother? Probably not, but I still will, just because I love you and, in my mind, you will always be my little brother.

I will always picture your chubby little face following me around everywhere, begging me to play outside with you. Yeah, you were annoying as heck, but I always gave in to your pleas in the end.

I will always remember pretending to play Carmen and Juni from "Spy Kids." Or we would play as Power Rangers, you always wanting to be the red one, and me always refusing to be the pink one because I didn't want to be a "typical" girl.

I still remember as we got older, we stopped playing and we started to share common interests. We both loved music, though I was never (and never will be) talented enough to pursue it the way you have.

I remember staying up late, talking. Our rooms right next to each other's, so we would sneak to the other's room and sit there and talk until mom or dad would come down and tell us to go to bed. We would, grudgingly, only to talk through our walls for a few minutes longer.

All of these are memories, but all of these memories with you have helped me become not only a better big sister but also a better person in general. No matter what I do in my life, I think about you and sissy, which pushes me to try harder.

Sometimes, I look at you and I think about how proud I am of my little brother. You are growing up to be a handsome young man. But you are also so smart and so talented in so many ways.

I'm proud of the way that you're not afraid to stand up for what you believe, or that you're not afraid to ask for what you want. It took me so long to learn those two things, and you seemed to have learned them in no time.

I'm proud of the way you are trying to create your own path. For the most part, you don't really give in to peer pressure—you are just your own self, and that's super cool.

I'm proud of how you treat people. I have never once seen you disrespect anyone, a feat you will begin to notice more as you venture out into the world.

I'm so proud of how sensitive you are, even if you don't like to show it. Your peers may not appreciate it now, but it will be much more appreciated in the long run. You have always had the biggest heart, and I don't want you to ever be ashamed of that. It's who you are.

But most of all, I'm proud of the big brother that you are to sissy. Yeah, you two fight. But I have seen you take some of the mistakes I made as an older sibling and find a different way around it.

I love you, little brother. And I will always be proud of what you have accomplished.

Love,

Sis