To my not-so-little-anymore little brother,

You did it. You made it thru those ever-so-awful teenage years! Trust me, I recognize those weren't easy for you. Although, you don't really say much about it, I know your high-school experience wasn't as enjoyable as I remember mine being. Life has thrown you a lot of curve balls these last few years, but you've handled them just fine.

It's hard to believe you're no longer a teenager. No more nineteen; you're twenty. You're really considered an adult now, and holy moly, that makes me feel old.

I still see you as the annoying little brother I had to give a ride to and from school everyday. I still see you as the little brother who would ride along for errands with me and dance to DMX's "Party Up (Up in Here)" like Lil Bow Wow does in "Like Mike," just to make me laugh. I still see the little brother who always had to hang around my friends and I when we were at the house, and because of it, you annoyed me to where I'd tried to pull you down the stairs or accidentally kicked you in the face. (Still sorry about that last one, but you had it coming.) in fact, I still see you as the little brother who stood on top of the glass coffee table and shattered it when we were playing in the basement in the house in Hays, and since I was older and supposed to be watching you, I got punished and all my Barbies were taken away.

I have and will always be one of your biggest fans. Even when I moved away for college, it killed me not being able to be there for all of your cross country and track meets, basketball games, band concerts, etc. That was one of the best parts of moving back home: being able to see you doing things you enjoyed and loved. I loved being able to be there for one of the biggest moments of your life so far - graduation. You are going to continue to do great things, and no matter how near or far those great things and events may be from me, you can bet I will try my hardest to be there to support you, and if I can't be there, then I will blow your phone up with support and congratulations.

As I'm sure you've already figured out, life isn't full of just successes. I want you to know I'm there for you thru the hard times, too. We've never been incredibly close. We have two very different personalities, actually, but I will always be just a phone call/text away and will listen to you about anything. I will warn you now, your early twenties are a hard-time in your life. There were days I didn't know if I would make it thru, days where I struggled hoping to make it to the next payday so I could eat, and days where I just shut down and cried. They're going to happen, but I can guarantee it's worth it as you really find yourself these next few years.

I want to challenge you this year and in the next few years to come. Break out of your shell. Meet new people. Put yourself out there. Adventure. Adventure a lot, actually. You're living in a place where you can do loads more of things than I could when I was your age in Kansas. Give yourself goals. Push yourself. Follow your dreams. Go out and live life; I promise your video games will be there at the end of every night. Become close with our parents; I promise they care about you more than you understand and just want to see you succeed. Go down the road less traveled and don't be afraid to go down the beaten path. Make memories.

And last but not least, reach out to your sister if you just need someone to talk to.

I love you and am so proud of what you have done and who you are becoming.

Love,

Your older, but shorter, sister.