It's devastating when your best friend grows up and leaves the nest, leaving you and it behind.

Having an older brother is a blessing...even if you don't know it yet. Although you have to learn to be tough because you're constantly being picked on or beaten up (play fight, not real fight) ... (sometimes real fight), at the end of the day he is always the person that will be there for you unconditionally. The truth is, if anyone but him is giving you a hard time, he's not okay with it- whether you're three years old or thirty.

One day you get to an age where either you're in college or he's in college, but you still see each other maybe once a month or once every couple months. It's hard, but at least you get to spend some time together. But what happens after college? That is the time when small town kids decide to move across the country. It's time to see a little more than the snowbank in your backyard. It's time to say goodbye to your older brother.

Usually parents are the ones crying or freaking out when their child leaves. They suffer empty nest syndrome and have to fill the empty void with knitting or some other form of tedious arts and crafts. But what about us younger siblings? Who will we call at 3am for a ride after a party? Who will tell us when we're wearing too much makeup and look like a birthday cake? Who will constantly encourage us through tough love to be the best version of ourselves?

One day when it's my turn to move across the country I'll get it... but until then, you'll be receiving a few angry emails.

This is to you, older brother. I look forward to seeing you when I see you... but in the mean time, I guess you're just a facetime call away.