Today is a special day. It is my brother-in-law’s 21st birthday! I have known Matt for about 9.5 years, which means he was 12 when I first met him. A lot has changed (for both of us) in the past 9 years. Mostly I have enjoyed and appreciated watching him grow into the man he is today. He has tried new things, pushed boundaries, explored the world, seen more of the US and the world than I have experienced, and grown the peach fuzz. Okay I digress.

Matt in action

My message to the birthday boy: “Matty, you mean the world to me and to Chris. We are so excited to have the opportunity to watch you grow into yourself. You light up the room when you walk in the door, with your grin, your sassy wit, and enormous hugs. You can carry on a conversation with anyone. What I love though is that your maturity shows through because you humbly make sure you connect and engage with others in the conversation, and ask questions about their life. There are many people twice your age that still have not figured that out. Can you tell we love you? You are the little brother I never had.”

And now, a little message about Matt from his big brother:

“My lil’ bro Matty-boy is one solid fella. He’s loved by everyone and disliked by none. He can schmooze with the most elitist of adults, business owners, and politicians. The boy’s got mad social skills… and like we always joke about, he could sell a ketchup popsicle to a woman in white gloves. At the same time, he can hang with friends he’s known all of his life and even makes the time to entertain and engage with their younger siblings who look up to him as if he’s a rock star. Speaking of which, he’s that too. Killing it on the drums whenever he has the chance… or gets paid to do so. I’m proud to be his big bro and can only hope that the examples I’ve set, good and bad, have and will continue to help push him further in life. Happy 21, bro. Proud of ya.”

Happy Birthday Matty!