“If you need me, call me, no matter where you are, no matter how far.”

Friends are a beautiful and precious gift. We find them in the most unexpected places. I found one of my best friends in my brother, Matthew. He is the unsung hero of our family; always keeping a level head through difficult times, always looking at the situation rationally and wholeheartedly, and always there for someone when they need it the most. Matty’s truly selfless in a way that most people aren’t. He has a heart of gold and I’m so proud to be his sister.

My brother was 15 years old when I left for college, a rising sophomore in high school. Even though he’s three years younger than I am, we were always close. Every time I came home to visit, he would know and peek outside the window excited to see me in the driveway. He would tell me stories about the happenings at home and keep me in the loop of all the drama and excitement. Then I started to visit home less often, wrapped up in the busy schedule of a college freshman. I was no longer in the loop of everything happening while I was away.

Slowly, I noticed the usual enthusiasm in my brother’s voice started to lessen and anger became a frequent mood. He finally became somewhat of a recluse in the household. I was immediately concerned, but he claimed, “I’m fine.” Then one night he asked me, “Can we go for a drive for some ice cream?” We did this often, but he hadn’t asked me in a while, so I was hopeful that he was coming out of his slump.

During the drive, surprisingly, he didn’t say a word, instead he looked hurt and sat there in silence. I couldn’t take it any longer. I screamed at him, “What’s wrong with you? And why won’t you tell me?!” He started to cry. I haven’t seen my brother cry in years. I still haven’t seen him cry since that day. He said in response, “I don’t know. Everything is different now.” I stopped the car and held him. He went on to explain how he felt like our family had been falling apart, (for many reasons that you learn about later). He confessed to me all the things I had been missing while I was away. What hurt the most is when Matty said he felt alone without me in the house. And then my brother finally said, “I’m depressed.” I started balling and then in a shaken voice I replied, “I love you so much and I’m so sorry you feel this way. Things will get better. I promise.”

I’ll never forget that day or the promise I made to him. My brother is not just a relative, in my heart, my brother is my closest and dearest friend; Matt’s my hero. I lost sight of that in the haze of college life. It is vital that we maintain the relationships with those we leave behind at home. Yes, college is an amazing experience, but part of that experience is finding the people that will always be important to you and keeping them close to you, no matter the distance or circumstance.