Last Sunday, my brother Matthew celebrated his 19th birthday. All day I was thinking just how fast time flies. I remember when I was younger, my mother always told me that time goes by faster the older you get. She was right.

It seems it wasn't too many years ago that I would crawl up on the couch with Matt and watch the same Three Stooges video that we had both seen a million times. It doesn't seem too long ago when he would come home from his Taekwondo lesson and show me his new tricks. It doesn't seem too long ago that my summer days were spent with my little brother.

Now, Matt is just finishing his freshman year at Mississippi State University where he is studying professional golf management, his love and passion.

And this summer, I won't get to spend my summer days with him, lying around the house watching television or practices his Taekwondo moves. He'll be spending his summer in Destin working at a golf course as part of his co-op for school.

I used to complain about having to stay home and babysit my little brother, and I wish that I had appreciated those moments more at that time. Now, I rarely get to see him, and I miss him incredibly.

I never really thought that Matt would really grow up, but he has, and I couldn't be more proud of him.

But, some things will never change, and in my eyes, he will always be my little brother.

This week, I am working on an editorial about the background check bill that the Alabama Legislature just recently passed. After searching the Internet for a while and not finding any reference to it, Buster MacGuire, copy editor here at The Advocate, called both Sen. Wendell Mitchell and Rep. Charles Newton. Within minutes, Sen. Mitchell's office returned the call and Rep. Charles Newton came to the office with the information. It was Monday, a holiday, but both quickly assisted the editorial staff in getting the information.

We are very lucky here in Butler County to have such wonderful representatives for our area. Both men always are very helpful and will do whatever they can to help us get the information that we need. A sincere thank you goes out to both of you.