The Parker Post

Awhile back (like, a long while back) I decided that I was going to write a post about all my immediate family members. It's taken me some time, and I still have only done two of them.
You should go back and read them.
They're nice and appreciative and loving.
That's always good.
On that note, on to installment THREE!

As you may have deduced from the title, this is about Parker.
And THIS...

Is Parker.

Parker is an awesome kid.
I guess he's not really a kid anymore. Although, despite being over 6' I could totally still take him down in a fight.
Or so I like to believe.
Parker graduated from Bingham High School at the beginning of June. This is hard for me to accept, seeing as he's my little brother and he's not supposed to ever grow up and always be as cute and little with those big blue eyes as he was when he was 4. I liked him when he was 4.
I like him now, too, I guess.
In fact, I almost always liked him, which is a compliment coming from me.
He had his moments, that's for sure. He decided to get sassy a few years ago, and none of us were ready for it.
He's mostly grown out of that, so now I'm usually the only sassy one, but every now and again he thinks he can sass still.
Parker is the sweetest thing.
He's always been so tender and so kind to everyone. He hardly ever has a negative thing to say, and if he does he feels guilty right away and follows it with a positive comment.
It drives me nuts, because no one should be that nice. No one.
The cool thing about it though is it's not fake. It's not him pretending to be that good of a person. He really is that good. 
It's a humbling thing, to look up to your little brother. Figuratively and literally.
There's days that he makes me so mad. Probably somewhat on purpose.
But even as I mutter "I'ma kill 'im." under my breath and clench my fists, I still love him.
Because who couldn't?
Really.
And now the fool is running off for two years and leaving me so he can serve a LDS mission in Sacramento.
I shouldn't be selfish, but I am. I want him to stay here with me forever and always and never leave.
He makes it so dang hard to be selfish though.
Because as I type this, with tears rolling down my face, I KNOW without a doubt, that he is doing exactly what he should, and he will be EXACTLY where he needs to be.
How can I want him HERE
when he has so much to do THERE.
But even with how much good he'll be doing, and how crazy fast (and slow) two years goes, I can't get over how much I'm going to miss him.
And he hasn't even left yet.
Parker, I hope you read this.
I hope you know how much I love you and just how proud of you I am.
You're brilliant, you're kind, sweet, loving, funny, and I cherish you. You have so much faith and trust and I admire you so much.
And before I embarrass you much more, I just wanted to add one last thing.
I know what you're doing is going to be one of the best experiences of your life. I know that you're going to be blessed in so many ways. But I know it's going to be hard too. There's going to be a lot of challenges, and a lot of things that make you wonder why they happen sometimes. But there's going to be so much good in Sacramento that everything- everything hard, sad, bad, unfair, or scary- will be worth it. I know God lives, and that Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, that there is a Prophet of God on earth today to lead and guide us, and that no matter what happens, we are NEVER alone. Even when it seemed everything has turned against us and that the sea is never ceasing, let your faith be everlasting.
Bud,
smile often.
because your smile is what has made all the difference to everyone you've ever encountered.
If you remember anything that I've written in this crazy rambling note, remember that.
You're brave.
You're kind.
You're my hero, for so many reason, and I love you.