It’s like someone knew that this family full of sisters needed a little brother, and that’s exactly what they gave us. Two years and exactly one week after I made my arrival, this sweet boy made his.

I feel so proud to be a big sister. I have always wanted to mentor and support someone in the ways that my older sisters have done for me and I hope I have been successful in fulfilling that silent promise to myself.

Mike is so talented in everything he puts his heart into. For the friends and family who haven’t had the chance to meet or time to get to know Mike, he is brilliant. When it comes to anything that he loves to do, he excels. Whether it was spelling as a boy, skate boarding as a teen, or diving into film making and technology as a young man, you can see the almost maniacal look that comes across him as he devotes himself to something.

Mike was the first batman. Before there was Christian Bale, or George Clooney (sigh), there was Batman Mike and his sidekick boy wonder, Robin (when the batman costume needed to be washed, someone had to fill in to save the world). Some of my fondest memories and funniest stories come from him sitting at the kitchen table finishing coloring book after coloring book in his costume-of-the-day.

Or watching Big Daddy, over and over, for years until each of us knew the lines perfectly.

Or reading Pippy Longstocking to him before bed, before it wasn’t cool to hang out with your big sister.

Happy 20th birthday, Mikey. I’m so proud to be your big sister.