In times where there’s been a lot of change, or many things happening…sometimes you need to take a moment just to breathe. A moment to simply look around and appreciate everything. When there is darkness or negativity, I forever believe in finding the light. That’s what this is. This is the fourth of six open letters to the Backstreet Boys, one by one – followed by one to the group as a whole to simply show them love and appreciation for all they do. Each one will include tweets from you guys, and will be written from the heart. My first one to Nick, can be found here. My second one to Kevin can be found here. The third letter to AJ you can read here. (To any fans reading this, if you’d like to add to this open letter please comment below! I invite you to share in this love fest.)
Now it’s Brian’s turn.
Brian,
When I think of you, I think of someone who will forever overcome.
You were supposed to die when you were just a baby. You weren’t supposed to make it past childhood, let alone grow to be part of the best selling boyband in history. At the very peak of the group your life was on the line. Yet you survived. You persevered. It established that this was who you would be. You are a fighter, Brian. You are someone who is who he is, and you will not let anyone else define you. This is absolutely admirable. You stand by your beliefs and your convictions without wavering for even a moment.
I remember when you took part in the Gay Pride parade with the group. Now, you were only a a couple years fresh off a Christian solo album that had absolutely left a mark in that community. This was before Gay Marriage was legalized. This was mid-swing of the controversy in the state where it was hotly up for debate – California. You faced an immense amount of backlash for taking part. Twitter accounts were created to boycott you. Christian stores pulled your album. But yet, you did not back down. You stood by your belief that love is love and it was not your place to judge. You didn’t have to. You could’ve tried to back down. You are the man who does not apologize for who he is.
The reason why I titled this post Larger Than Life is because that’s a major part of you and your energy. You are infectious Brian. Maybe your body wasn’t big enough to contain the beautiful heart you possess, full of that light and energy and love. You practically vibrate with it. Brian, you’re always making jokes, enjoying every moment because you know first hand how much of a gift it is. You do crazy jumps that make us wonder if you’re really human. You bounce off the walls if you’re still for too long. Your spirit is practically bursting with all of this, and it’s one of many reasons why people love you so much.
Your voice at it’s best soars above the angels. Over the years, we’ve seen you struggle when you got diagnosed with vocal dystonia. We’ve seen you refuse to sit back and accept it. Instead you’ve grown bit by bit. We celebrate your victories with you. We stand by you as you shine once more. Know we’re proud of you Brian. Know your fans have seen how far you’ve come, and it makes us happy beyond worth to witness it. You are someone who will never let the world defeat you. Brian, you are someone who keeps on fighting back and it makes you stronger. We’ve seen you become stronger.
You are the one who manages to spot fans in the crowd that are convinced you can’t see. You are the one who takes the time to get selfies with fans during the middle of the show even if it means lying down on a stage to do it. We see you in those moments Brian. Your love for the fans shines through. You are the one who remembers fans so clearly. How, I have no idea. You meet thousands upon thousands around the world. Yet, you’ll find a way to show that yes, you know who they are. You may never know what those moments mean to your fans. I can try to tell you, to show you in this little letter.
Sometimes, words fall short.
This is very likely one of those times.
In the end, all I can say is that you inspire. You inspire fans. You inspire hope. You remind people that there is always a ray of light beyond any storm. You remind people that you can defy the odds. Your entire life is built on doing this. Just know that we’re very grateful for all of this and more. You show that you can’t let anyone define who nor what you are. You decide that and no one else.
Brian, you are proof that miracles can happen.
Thank you for being such an inspiration.
Thank you for always bringing the light wherever you go.
I hope you know how proud your fans are of you.
We hope that this makes you smile, the way you always do for us
In doing so, this open letter and tweets below have succeeded in their task.
All you people can’t you see, can’t you see,
How your love’s affecting our reality.
Every time we’re down,
You can make it right.
And that makes you larger than life
The Dark Side 
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