Dear Zach,

After a year of you begging (Okay, politely asking every now and then) I'm finally writing an article about you. You're welcome.

First off, thanks for being born. As much as you annoyed me growing up, living without you would have been incredibly lonely, and boring. Thanks for all those times you helped me ask our parents for a dog. It didn't work, but for many years we were a persistent team. Thanks for always playing pranks on my friends and me. You're honestly the person who makes me laugh the hardest, which makes coming home from college so much fun. I'm sort of sad that next year, I might come home for a weekend and you won't be there because you'll be away at your own school.

Please know that I am very proud of you. Even though I complain that all Mom and Dad talk about is football, I have always been proud of how hard you have worked to achieve your dream. I hope that you are able to play in college, because after all the hard work you've put in, you deserve it. I'm proud that you are dedicating your senior season to raising money for pediatric cancer research. It's important that you want to make a positive impact on other people's lives. This will take you far in life.

I wish you the best of luck with applying to colleges. I know filling out all the applications sucks and waiting to hear back is incredibly nerve wracking. Try not to let it weigh you down. Even though you've had to declare a major, don't feel like it's permanent. Right now, you are only seventeen years old. It's perfectly normal to change your mind or discover a new passion. You aren't required to know exactly what you want to do for the rest of your life. It may seem like everyone around you has their lives figured out, but they don't. We are all pretending to have it together.

Senior year is a great year, but it is also a confusing one. You are excited to move on to new adventures and leave high school behind, but as graduation gets closer you'll realize that means everything has to change. Spend as much time with your friends as you can. You'll miss them when you go to college. Don't stop making memories just because you're about to leave.

No matter where you end up, freshman year of college will be scary. You've been at the same school since first grade, so don't be surprised if your first semester is a combination of awesome independence and crippling loneliness. Know that building friendships takes time, and it will be an adjustment. I will be just a phone call or text message away in case you need to hear a familiar voice.

Thank you for being the best little brother a girl could ask for, even though you still refuse to hug me.

Love,

Your big sister/best friend