From late night country-music-filled car rides to daily ice cream runs, we have done everything together. 

I wouldn’t want anyone else by my side on this crazy, chaotic journey called life. You are always the first person I go to when an exciting event occurs, and you’re always there to congratulate me when I achieve new milestones. You will forever be my built-in best friend.

You provide me peace and laughter when necessary and hugs that fill me with endless joy and contentment. I have always adored how you give to others more than they would give to you. You have one of the purest hearts I know, and you bring nothing but comfort to me and others.  

Through the favorable and poor times, you always manage to come out on the other side with a smile. When I am weak, you are strong, and when my shell starts to crack, you lift my spirits and remind me how tough I am. 

To be honest, I have never held a grudge against you—other than when you take my leftovers from the fridge with my name written on it. Along the way, you have naturally become my support system. We are both starting to head our separate ways, and the days of us spending every minute together have gradually vanished. However, there are no hard feelings or fallouts, but simply life that got in the way. I guess it is true what they say: time is precious and should not be wasted, you should spend it with the people you love most. 

Now, when I go to agitate you because I am bored or at a loss of what to do, I am standing face-to-face with an empty room. It’s honestly depressing, but I know you’re working hard at making all of your dreams and aspirations come true. The hard work you put in every day never goes unnoticed, and I am astonished at how well you maintain your active schedule. At the end of the day—when dawn hits—you walk through the door looking exhausted, yet most of the time, you still manage to give out positive energy. I always wonder how you manage to not get burnt out.

I never knew when or how we got so close as siblings, but I know for a fact that our brother-sister bond is rare. We hear it all the time; I know it, you know it, and that’s what makes our sibling relationship more authentic. I realize now that as we grew up, I was your magnet. Wherever you walked, I walked. At one point in time, I was your mini version. Now, we are maturing every day, and I have realized that I do not always need you to guide me.  

When I walk into new situations that I am unsure of, I no longer have someone to lead me. When I need a ride home from school or an event, you are no longer one call away. I can sense that this is how it’s going to be—for now at least—but I know that you will always be there for me, and life will soon calm down. 

At the end of the day, I am at ease because I know I have the reassurance of you catching me when I start to collapse because you have, time and time again.

Gavin,

I know I don’t say this enough, but I am beyond grateful for the brother-sister relationship we have. I have never had a person in my life that is more caring and understanding than you. You are my role model, and I look up to you more than you will ever imagine. Your humbleness prepared me. You look outside the box, which taught me to look at situations and ideas from different angles, and you always fight for what you believe in, which has shown me to be unafraid to stand up for myself. If there’s one thing we have in common, it’s that we are never fully satisfied with anything. We always want more, and we don’t stop until all our goals are accomplished. Even when we fight and argue, I know that our annoyance with each other won’t last long, and we always forgive one another. Arguments between us usually end with me apologizing and you buying me food—which I am immensely grateful for. 

As we both get older, we find ourselves enjoying different activities. In a way, we are growing apart. A lesson I have learned this year is that growing apart from someone doesn’t mean I am leaving them forever, but it shows that I have matured enough to deal with more complex situations on my own. 

Because of you, I have grown.

Because of you, I have gained confidence within myself. 

Because of you, I am no longer scared of growing apart from others; I know now that it doesn’t mean they’re leaving.