To my military brother,

I remember sitting in front of the TV and watching Spongebob Squarepants with you on Saturdays, while we stuffed our faces with whatever sugary cereal we convinced our parents to buy that week. I remember going to every single one of your sporting events to cheer you on (and embarrass you as much as I could.) I remember doing your Spanish homework in high school because you needed to pass the class to graduate but you were really bad at it. I remember going on family vacations when we were younger and throwing the football around on the beach. One of the most prominent memories I have, however, is the day you left for Air Force basic training. With tears in my eyes, I hugged you and sent you off as a blubbering mess. My life was never the same after that. I would come home from school to an empty house, I didn’t have anyone to go for late night drives to Wendy’s with, and I had no one stopping me from eating all of the frozen pizzas in the refrigerator.

Whether we are on the same side of the Atlantic or not, you will always be my brother. I never thought that we would be living miles and miles away from each other or that I would go months without seeing you while you were away at basic training. To my military brother, there are a few things I’d like to tell you, which are true regardless of where we are in this big world.

Never forget about where you came from.

I know that our small hometown isn’t much to look at from the outside, but we both know that the town we grew up in will always have a soft spot in our hearts. Though sometimes you complained about how lame our town was, it is where you made some of the friends that you are going to have for the rest of your life. It was where we broke bones, learned to ride bikes, got detentions, played sports, etc. I hope that you always think of our small New England town as home.

Never lose sight of where you are going.

You have big plans and it is going to take a lot of hard work to get there. You are getting an education while doing the daily grind of your job, you have friends all over the place and you are doing really cool things. Everyone back home is really proud of you and I can’t wait to hear about your next adventure, your next promotion, and your next destination.

Thank you.

Thank you for always having my back. Thank you for keeping me grounded every time I was being difficult. Thank you for teaching me many invaluable life lessons. Thank you for being someone I can always count on and for being one of the strongest, kindest, adventurous people I know. And lastly, thank you for your service and for helping keep us safe every day.

Love you lots, bro.

Much love,

Your sister.