Madelyn Loecker

To my beautiful Sissy, thank you for being a perfect older sister. Thank you for helping raise me and turn me into the person I am today (I know how hard it must have been for you to live the first eleven years of your life without an awesome sister like me), and thank you for being the funniest, the smartest, and the kindest out of the four of us.
You’ve always been the person that’s made me excited to get older. When I was little all I wanted was to be in high school and go to college because I would be just like you. I got my first job at a restaurant when I was 14 because I wanted to have the same job you did (turns out working in food service industry isn’t for the weak lol).
The older we get, the faster time seems to go. I graduate high school in 6 months and you just got married. I’ll never forget the day you went off to college in Lincoln and I became the oldest at home. For years I would sit in your old bedroom across from Lauren and I’s and hold one of your stuffed animals while I looked at all of your clothes and books you left behind. I would think about the life you had already lived and how many more years there were to come that would be spent away from home and I would get really sad because even at seven years old I knew you were never going to come back. And even though it took a long time to realize it, I’m happy you never did. During your ventures away from home you’ve found incredibly kind and hilarious friends (specifically Lexie lol <3) and built a beautiful community of wonderful people who all love you. And now, you’ve added one more person. I couldn’t have asked for a better first brother and am so excited to share our life with him. We’ve already made so many memories together after two years and I can’t wait to make more.
I thank God everyday that I get to be your little sister. I know sometimes I couldn’t be the sister you needed because I was too young to understand and we live too far away from each other, but now you’ll have a best friend by your side through the good days and the bad forever.
I love you Sissy. I’m so happy you found your happily ever after, you deserve the world. (@loeckerish)