Man writes 'letter' to late brother updating him on his life, says he sees him everyday in his son

The world in our cellphones has gotten us hooked on doomscrolling, until a unique story appears, making us look up and pay attention to life outside. One such tale shared by Eric, who goes by @kidds_dad on Instagram, shows just how important it is to make memories with your loved ones before you lose them. In an emotional video message, Eric read a letter he'd written to his brother, whom he lost when he was 16 years old. In it, he details his life updates, telling the world that he still misses his elder brother. “Dear Reagan, it has now been 10 years since you've been gone, and I figured I'd fill you in. We left off with me about to start dating, and though I always looked forward to being able to have your dating advice, somehow I lucked out, and I met the woman of my dreams and my best friend. She's weird and pretty cool, so I think you'd like her,” said Eric.

Going into the details, Eric mentioned how listening to his brother’s favourite songwriter and doing their dance routine made him feel better. “Since then, I've moved away, graduated from school, and had a baby. And in fact, I had two babies," he says. "I got my motorcycle endorsement just like you, and I make sure to ride your bike all the time so it's still running well. When I'm feeling sad, I'll still play Regina Spector's 'The Call' and still do our little dance that we had."

The clip discussed how the family had continued their shared traditions in order to keep Reagan's spirit alive. “We still sing 'Happy Birthday' to you every year and make a cake," Eric says, "I just wish you could be there with us, that's all. I hate to break it to you, but I don't think the All-American Rejects are relevant anymore, but don't worry, I still listen to them. Although the bedazzled jeans — we had to let those go. Sorry, man."

Taking the readers down an emotional lane, he added the part where his son asked him whom he was named after, “The son we named after you started asking how you died. I haven't figured out yet how to have that conversation with him or how to explain, but I take every opportunity I can to share stories with him and listen to your music with him. He's a big fan, by the way. So, if you ever want to make more, let me know."

Eric is a 26-year-old dad on social media, born in Arizona. He engages a whopping 517k followers on Instagram, making posts on his life, children, and parenting. While giving tips on healthy parenting, he sometimes takes a moment to pay tribute to his brother. While scrolling through his profile, one will find a post where he is taking his kids to meet his uncle. And, in another clip, you would find him cutting cake on his late brother’s birthday, which his wife had made.

At last, he ended his heartwarming video note by stating the obvious, “I miss you every single day. Hope you write back. Bye, Reagan.” Viewers didn't hold their emotions back: "All American Rejects are touring with the Jonas Brothers this year, so I’d say they’re still relevant and sending all the good vibes in your time of mourning," said @lilbirdie15. "This is beautiful. My brother died when he was 25, over four years ago now. Siblings' loss isn’t spoken of as much as other losses, thank you for sharing," shared @mariellelouisemenzel.

Another user shared the grief, @life_of_ludtkes wrote, "Not sure how he died because I just came across this. I lost my brother to suicide before my children were born, before I met my husband, and when my daughter asked for the first time how he died, I told her he was sick. You see, depression is a sickness, a sickness of the mind. And I leave it at that. If this is not relevant, please scroll on by. It wasn’t meant to be insensitive. Your video generally made me emotional, and I wanted to share in case it may help. This is a wonderful tribute to your sibling, and I love it. Reagan is also my daughter's middle name."

You can gather parenting tips by following Eric on Instagram @kidds_dad.