Last May, my oldest brother Bobby graduated and moved across the country. This made me realize that we're at the point in our lives where we're not just growing up, but we're growing away.
Growing up I was certain that my older brothers had a singular goal in life and that was to drive me up a wall.
Naturally, they succeeded. But hey, what are big brothers for?
Despite their best efforts, I always wanted to tag along. If they stayed up late, I wanted to as well, and if they were going to play with their friends, I wanted to go, too. Yes, I played the annoying little sister role to a T.
In my eyes Bobby and Patrick seemed to be going through life at a full sprint, and I was doing my best not to get left in the dust.
I idolized them, and I still do.
I was envious of Bobby's determination and cool confidence. I admired Patrick's wittiness and seemingly endless knowledge.
Even as we got older and each of us started going to college, I carried this naive misconception that somehow they'd always be around. So as we became teenagers and moved into our 20s, I made less and less of an effort to make time for them.
Now one lives across the country and the other is several hours away, and I can't help but feel like I have finally gotten left in the dust.
It's funny how often we take people for granted.
It's easy to get caught up in school and work, but before you go and think, "I just don't have time," let me impart some words of wisdom from my mother: "Nobody has time, you just have to make time."
You don't want to look back and feel like you have missed out. So remember to make time for those in your life who truly matter.
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