“What are we listening to today?” Every Monday, my brother and I get in the car to head to our BBYO program, and that simple question has become one of my favorite parts of the week. It wasn’t always like this. Two years ago, my parents drove me to every BBYO program. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, I’d sit in the car scrolling through TikTok, waiting for my friend to arrive with her parents so I wouldn’t have to walk in alone. My parents would try to start conversations with me, but I barely ever responded. Back then, the car ride was just… a car ride. Fast forward two years, and everything looks different.

Now I drive my younger brother and me to programs. High school is busy and intense, and between homework and extracurriculars, there’s rarely a good moment to actually talk to your sibling (especially a freshman brother who thinks he’s way cooler than you). But that 15-minute drive every Monday has become our special time together. I let him choose the music, and we just talk. We talk about our classes, friends, and weekend plans. It could easily be silent, but we’ve realized these 15 minutes are ours. He doesn’t know it, and he’d definitely roll his eyes if I told him, but those 15 minutes mean a lot to me. Sometimes, when we’re in the middle of a song or a conversation I don't want to interrupt, I’ll circle the neighborhood an extra time. What used to be a car ride I couldn’t wait to get out of has become the best part of my week. 

So take this as your sign to offer to drive your sibling to basketball practice or pick them up from school. You never know, you might be surprised by what those 15 minutes become.