An Open Letter to Colin
Colin, you’re my brother. I definitely love you like one.
We’ve known each other for years now. I still remember playing basketball with you and Jason at WMS once when I was in middle school. It’d be a while before we really got to know each other, but I think ever since we first met you stuck out to me.
My sophomore year was when things really hit off. I remember you hosted our first hangout, with Henry and the Curry’s and a few of the girls. Next thing I knew, we were spending every Friday and Saturday night together, running around town at night or watching a movie. You were the driver and I was usually shotgun with the aux. In a short time our whole group got close. It started through running but turned into a lot more than that.
I remember your last race like it was yesterday. I wasn’t there, but I remember praying you got the qualifying time at Liberty. I was rooting for you man. Always was, and always will be. I was hurt when you didn’t quite get it. I knew it had been a long year and a long season for you. All I wanted, all we wanted, was to see you get what you deserved. I guess sometimes it doesn’t work out that way.
The Duke game. One of the best days of my life. I had such a blast coming down to Tech with you for that winter weekend. You showed me around, let me into your college world, and showed me what it meant to be a Hokie. And somehow we beat Duke. I’m not sure if you realize how much that day meant to me, but I still look at it as one of the most important days of my life. It’s only right that I was next to you. Oh, and we made it on ESPN. That was cool.
Next thing I knew I was in at Tech and visited to see if it was where I should end up. You showed me around campus again, introduced me to your friends, and took me to a Newman dinner. Seeing your world was the reason I came to Tech. You showed me this place could become my home, that I would find a family here. When I saw Georgia Tech, I wasn’t confident that was true there.
Last year was a lot of adjusting, and we didn’t meet up as much as I would’ve liked. You did push me to join your bible study, and I enjoyed that. I think I just had a lot of things to figure out personally, and wasn’t really able to fully devote myself to it. You were always willing to check in on me and looking back I think that shows a lot about a relationship.
I think this past summer is when our relationship was taken to another level. I was in trouble. I remember the first time I called you things were going well. I had been praying a lot, and really wanted to tell you about it. That’s just who you’ve become to me in terms of my faith; someone I want to open up and talk about it with. But things went downhill from there. We walked as soon as you got back and I dumped a lot on you. Every piece of baggage I had been holding onto up until that point in the summer, I spilled out. Putting it out there made me instantly feel like a weight was off of me, and you talked me through things and offered advice. That’s definitely a big part of a deep relationship.
That wasn’t our only long walk this summer. I needed it. I needed people that cared more than I ever have, and you were there.
Then it was the bike ride, and the late night walks around campus, and leading our bible study, and subs together, and Bald Knob. Dude, you help me get away from everything.
You’ve made me a better man. I am completely myself with you, and I look up to you as an older brother. I have your back through anything.
Love you,
Jimbo
