It’s been 5 years since I lost my big brother. He was my best friend, my protector, the person I told my secrets to, the one I made plans with for the future. The person who understood me without me even having to explain myself. A big brother is one of the backbones of your journey through life. They’re the person you look up to, compete with, laugh with, learn from, and lean on when life gets heavy. You grow up thinking they’ll always be there for every win, every loss, every late night conversation, every random phone call, every big moment. Losing that changes you forever. There’s not a single day that goes by where I don’t think about him. Certain songs, certain memories, certain moments in life still make me wish I could pick up the phone and call him one more time. Sometimes I catch myself wanting to tell him about something exciting before realizing I can’t. That feeling never fully leaves. If you still have your brother, hug him tighter. Tell him you love him. Spend more time with him. Stop taking the little moments for granted because one day those small moments become the memories you hold onto the most. The laughs, the arguments, the drives, the dumb conversations at 2am, all of it matters more than you realize. Life moves fast and we always think we have more time, until we don’t. I’d give anything for one more conversation, one more laugh, one more memory. Miss you every day bro. 5 years later and your impact on my life still lives through everything I do.