The Day My Little Brother Left for Medical School

Today we packed up my brother’s life, loaded everything into the car, and watched him begin the seven-hour drive up to the Bay Area for medical school.

You know, I’ve always known this day was going to come. There was never a doubt in my mind that he would get here. But just because you know a moment is coming doesn’t mean it’s going to hurt any less when it finally arrives. This journey has been long, challenging, and filled with so much sacrifice. And in so many ways, I feel like I’ve been on this journey alongside him because this hasn’t just been his dream. It’s been our family’s dream.

So today, I’m feeling all sorts of emotions.

I’ve always believed in allowing myself to feel all of them. The joy. The pride. The sadness. The grief. The excitement. If there’s anything motherhood has taught me, it’s that these emotions can coexist, and more often than not, they do. You can be overwhelmingly proud while your heart aches at the very same time. You can celebrate someone’s next chapter while grieving the version of life you’re leaving behind. Learning how to hold space for all of those feelings, instead of trying to choose just one, has been one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned.

Because I think that’s one of the greatest gifts of being human. We get to experience every season of life, and I never want to rush past any of it. I’m especially reflective today because I know what this means for him, for our family, and most importantly, for my mom.

I’ve never been shy about talking about where we came from. Growing up, we didn’t have much. We lived in a mobile home. We shared tiny apartments. There were seasons where life felt heavy, and the path ahead wasn’t always clear. So to now be standing here, packing up my little brother’s things as he moves away for medical school, knowing that one day we’ll have a doctor in our family… it feels surreal.

It feels like the American dream.

And as I raise Phoenix, I find myself thinking so much about the kind of person I hope he becomes one day. I think about the people I want to surround him with, the dreams I hope he has the courage to chase, and the kind of mom I want to be for him along the way. I hope he grows up knowing that big dreams are worth pursuing, whether that means building his own business, dedicating years to a career/passion or choosing a path we can’t even imagine yet.

Watching my brother reach this moment has also made me reflect on the impact our parents have on us. I know without question that my mom has left an incredible footprint on my brother’s journey. Her sacrifices, her encouragement, her resilience, and her unwavering belief in him helped shape the person he is today.

And wow… I am so proud of him.

Honestly, I don’t even think the word “proud” fully captures the amount of emotion I feel for this little kid who somehow grew up right in front of my eyes. What’s funny is that even when he went away for undergrad, he never really left home. He was always here. This is the first time he’s truly leaving all of us and starting a life of his own.

And that’s such a strange feeling for me because I’m usually the one leaving.

I’m the one traveling for work, chasing dreams, building a business, and stepping into new seasons of life. I’m used to being the person who packs up and goes. So standing here today, watching my little brother drive away, felt unfamiliar in a way I wasn’t expecting. But I guess that’s what life is.

It’s a constant reminder that every ending is also the beginning of something new. Today marks the start of a new era for him, for our family, and for all the people who love him.

I can’t wait to watch him become the doctor he’s always dreamed of becoming.

And more than anything, I hope he knows that no matter how far he goes, he will always have a family cheering him on from home.