To my not so little, little brothers,

When people hear how many brothers I have, they gasp. Followed by tons of comments usually relating to the fact that I don’t have sisters, or how do I deal with all boys? Truth is, it doesn’t bother me a bit. I’m so glad I spent my childhood with you boys.

I always tell boys I date they should be more worried about meeting my brothers than my parents. No matter how many times I bring home a new boy for you to meet, remember you will always be the most important ones in my life. You’ve always been my biggest protectors. I refuse to date anyone without your approval. I will always need to be sure that any girl (or boy, doesn’t matter to me) you bring home is good enough for you. After your first broken heart, they better watch out.

I feel bad for all of our friends who have never experienced not having a brother. I never had sisters, and I always thought I wanted them, but I wouldn’t change our bond for anything. At least you guys won’t steal and wear my clothes, unless I was forcing you to play dress up ;).

We may not always get along, but I know when times get tough you’ll always have my back. I know being a teenage boy means you’re “too cool” to hangout with your big sister, and you’ll be sure to remind me of that. The older you get the smarter you become, and I can’t just “let you win” in arguments anymore, because often you will actually win! I learned to stand up for myself because of you. You (unwillingly) let me boss you around, and today I’m a leader because of that. I still learn so many things from you all.

I guess I’ll let it go that you’re finally becoming taller than me, but I can’t let go of the fact that you’re growing up. Watching each stage of your lives is amazing and I’m in awe of the things you can accomplish. Our made up games like “Cars and Brat Dolls” too quickly turned into experimenting our first drinks together. I can’t wait until we have our own families and we watch our children do the same with each other.

You’re all in different stages of your life. One of you is about to move into college. One of you is in high school; the other is in elementary school. The baby is about to start preschool. I love watching you guys grow up. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you. I’m always so proud of you.

Love always,

Your big sister.