By his own admission, Ryan Hurd is "very guarded" publicly, and he doesn't talk much about the loss of his brother, Andrew. But on Thursday (Aug. 23) — the eight-year anniversary of his then-teen brother's death — he opened up.

"I just wish that every single one of you could have known how special my little brother Andrew was," Hurd writes alongside a picture of his late brother, who was 16 when he died. "I’ve watched my Mom and my Dad have to learn how to live after losing a child. I’ve seen my brother and especially my little sister grow up and become exceptional people in the face of unspeakable grief."

News reports from 2010 indicate Andrew lost his life in a two-car accident that occurred as he was heading home from soccer practice at his Kansas high school. Hurd reflects on how much he would have loved for his wife and fellow country star Maren Morris to have met Andrew.

"I wish Maren could have gotten to know that part of me that we can only talk about now, but mostly we just miss him," the "Diamonds or Twine" singer says. "Nothing can ever make it ok, but we are all so proud that we got to know him, and if you are living with loss right now, I hope that you read this like it’s a giant hug from the Hurds just for you."

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