Dear Family,

I’ve never written a letter to you guys. This is pretty special, like you guys, I guess. Anyway, I’ve always loved you guys. You have been there for me, for better or worse, through everything. This is my tribute to my family.

I will start with mom. Mom, you have always looked after me, acting motherly to her kids. But since I’m your oldest, it seems that you trust me even more than everyone in the family. When I got home with a good grade, you encouraged me and went out to get me something nice. When I came home with a bad grade (which isn’t very often), you told me to work harder, and didn’t make me feel bad for not doing well. It seems that you are a blessing, something God gave me, even better than anything I have at home. I love you out of almost everyone in the family. I still faintly remember when I was 2, when Grandma would cradle me in her arms and I would cry, because I only wanted to be held by you. Though you’re aging, you’ll always be the young mother I was blessed with.

Dad is my next person I want to talk about. You’re tall, scrawny, but strong and smart on the inside. I always thought you hated me, always yelling at me when I did something wrong. But I learned, a few years back, that you loved me as much as mom did. I can’t tell you what it was, because I promised mom, and it was too embarrassing to tell, anyway. But you taught me a lot, too. You taught me to fish, when we vacationed in Vietnam a few years ago, and during our trip to California, I felt that we were bonding with the father-son relationship that I wanted. You always cared for us, too. You never wanted to go to the beach with us, but at home, you were completely worried. When we came home, though, you seemed like you didn’t care. But I saw through you and saw that you, the whole time, were hoping we came home in one piece. Though sometimes it doesn’t look like it, I will always adore you and look up to you just as much as I look up to mom.

My sister is the final piece of the family. To my little sister, you were always the genius and the little angel, the good girl, in the family, next being me, then our baby sister. You never wanted to get into trouble, and you always ratted me out when I did something wrong. I was envious of you because you turned out better than me. You were always mom’s right hand person. In fact, I went to confession and when I told the pastor I was envious of you, he was surprised. But the point is secretly, I really was impressed. You were sly, cunning, and smart, you could probably turn out better than I did. You could always counter my comebacks, you made money by keeping my bad deeds a secret when I didn’t want to get punished, and I was completely surprised on how you could turn against me. You got in trouble even less than me and our baby sister. I love you, like brothers and sisters, and I believe you’ll be a good lawyer someday.

As my letter concludes to a close, I want my family to know that they are the best I ever had, and I really want to thank God for the loving and caring family that He blessed me with. I will never have a better family.

Your Loving Son, and Older Brother

M.L.