Missing Matt.

Tonight, my dad and I ate at O'Charley's. My brother used to work there, and the booth my dad I were sitting at was right in front of this:

After Matt died, the staff ordered this jersey to hang-up in remembrance of him. It's a Buccaneers jersey, since Tampa Bay was his favorite football team, and his last name goes across the back. The number, 23, represents how old Matt was when he died... The closer I get to that age, the more saddened I become. In just three short years, I will be as old as he was then. And in just four years, I will have reached an age that my brother never got to see. Forever and always, I will remember him like this:

And as I grow older, I can only wonder how great our similarities may have become, and how close we could have grown over time. I wish I could have seen him this past June 17th... It would have been his 30th birthday. I kind of look like him, you know. I was looking at that close-up picture above, and I couldn't help but think that, these days, people would have seen our familial resemblance.

I love and miss my brother a great deal... To any and all who have an older brother, never take him for granted. I wish Matt could have been here during my crazy high school years when big brother would have been so comforting. And even now, in my college age, life advice from him would have meant so much. But I am comforted by knowing that big brother can always watch over me now, even if I can't see him or talk to him<3

Goodnight all.