Little Brother,
First of all, happy birthday! We’ve been putting up with each other for a long time now. Here on your 17th birthday, looking forward to your senior year of high school and my senior year of college, we’re so close to big changes.
I just want to say that I’m proud of you. You’ve been making your own path and sticking with it. I’m proud of you for choosing to go to a different high school than me. I’m proud of you for being on the baseball team your freshman year and then not letting anyone change your mind when you didn’t want to do it again. That’s something that I hope you keep, your commitment to decisions. Although, maybe you could learn to compromise sometimes.
I’m proud of you for exploring small passions, from photography and graphic design to your insane love of U of M football. Amid all your small passions, it’s okay to not know exactly what you want to do. I’m still not even sure what my plan is. People are going to keep asking you where you’re going to go to college and what you’re going to study, don’t let them make you feel like you’re supposed to have an answer already.
I’m proud of you for making it to 17 and for being a good brother, son, and friend. Sure, there are things that I think you could change, what kind of sister would I be if I didn’t have some criticisms, but in the end, I’m just glad that out of all the possible siblings in the world I could have gotten, I got you. Happy birthday!
Love,
Your Big Sister