I chose to write my gratitude letter to my little brother, Daniel. Before reading it to him I was really nervous. When expressing any kind of sappy emotion to a fourteen year old boy, there is always the danger that they will laugh in your face and tell you that you are “gay.” Granted, Daniel has a lot more sensitivity and heart than most teenage boys I’ve met, but he still has his stereotypical “dude” moments. So I was unsure of the reaction that I would get.
Dear Daniel,
Thank you for being an amazing little brother. Thank you so much for making me laugh all the time and for giving me an excuse to go see cheesy superhero movies. I am so proud of you for growing up to be such a smart, kind, funny, thoughtful, loveable guy. I really enjoyed talking to you when I came home for Christmas break and it made me so happy to see what a good head you have on your shoulders. Despite peer pressure, you unapologetically remain your own person, which is more than can be said for most people twice your age. I hope you know how grateful I am that you are my brother. Thanks for thinking I’m cool even when I‘m a huge nerd. And THANK YOU for taking such good care of our mom. I know I don’t have to worry too much because you’re there to make sure she’s okay. No matter how many times you hit me with a shoe, I will always be glad that you are my little brother!
I love you so much!
Lauren
When I read him the letter he wasn’t sure what to make of it. He got a little misty-eyed but was otherwise collected, which is about as much of a reaction as I had hoped to get. Even though there was no outpouring of emotion on his part, he was really appreciative and it definitely made him happy, but he wasn’t sure what to say.
“Thanks,” he said “you too.”
I am really glad that I chose to write the letter to Daniel. When we were assigned this exercise, I had a hard time figuring out whom to write it to. Most of the people I could write a really heartfelt, sincere letter to, already knew how I felt—I can be a pretty mushy person sometimes—and most of the people I hadn’t fully thanked already would have received letters about how thankful I was that they had given me a ride to the airport, or something like that. With my brother, there was a real opportunity to express deep gratitude to someone really important to me. This activity helped me realize just how important my brother is to me and what a great kid he is.