As I sit on my couch writing this post, I reflect on the last 3 years of my life. To say that time flies is an understatement. Attending my brother’s high school graduation was so surreal and brought me right back to my own.

My brother was a Freshman in high school when I was a Senior. He was still such a little baby. Now he is off to college, over 6 foot and smarter than I think I will ever be. I don’t know why I never thought this day would come.

Technically, with him graduating, my parents are supposed to now be “empty nesters.” That, however, is not the case. I moved home from college during my second semester of my Sophomore year, so they’ve still got me for a bit! I don’t think I could see myself anywhere else though. Being home has given me the opportunity to see my brother grow through his Senior year and watch his relationships with friends develop. I’ve been able to annoy him and get on every single one of his last nerves, which I’m sure he is ready to escape to college from.

Our home is going to be VERY different without Parker (my brother). Granted, he holes up in his room most of the time but his witty and sarcastic personality will be greatly missed. We have never really been the best of friends but the last year and a half, I feel, we have seen each other through so many different situations, making us really kind of grow closer.

I’m not gonna lie, I cried watching him accept his diploma on the stage at our high school. I literally and figuratively look up to and admire the man he has become, so that was such an insanely proud moment for me. After the ceremony was over, I sort of acted as a fly on the wall. I watched as he and all of his buddies jumped on each other in graduation jubilee, the excitement of all the hard work paying off and getting them to that exact moment.

I remember doing the exact thing with all of my friends at my graduation in 2014. Saying goodbye to my friends going out of state and country, wishing them all the best of luck in case we didn’t see one another until our reunions. Of course, I have since seen many of the people I went to high school with, more so now because I have been home permanently for the past year and a half. It’s crazy seeing how much people have changed in just 3 short years.

I think that’s fun and I can’t wait to see how my brother grows and changes over his next four years away at college. Truthfully, I can’t wait to see how everyone in my family grows and changes over the next four years. With my parents and their careers and me and mine, it will be very interesting to see where our paths take us all. Hopefully, we are all in a wonderful place in our lives, enjoying every second of it. If you’re reading this, I hope in four years you have seen yourself grow and are content with your life!

Who knows, maybe in four years we can revisit and see where we all are at 🙂

Sincerely,

Kate