Anyone who has older siblings knows that they are both a blessing and a curse. They make fun of you in front of your friends and stand up for you when you need it most. They babysat you when you were young, and they'll be in your wedding party when you hit the big day. They are basically cool older friends who are stuck with you for life. Ultimately, I couldn't imagine my life without my older siblings, and here's why:

1. You don't have to serve as the guinea pig for new parenting techniques.
2. They know the dos and don'ts of college like the back of their hands.
3. They call you out when you're not making smart decisions.
4. They can serve as a reliable filter when it comes to who you date.
5. You automatically have a best friend at every family event.
6. They make sure you'll never forget the weird things you did when you were younger.
7. They make you feel better about a situation by telling you a story of something similar happening to them, and it turning out much worse for them.
8. They love you unconditionally.
9. They make fun of you for every thing you do, only because they love you.
10. No matter how old you are, you'll always seem young and little to them.
11. The cool older kids know you.
12. They're like a taxi service, but free.
13. They give you great advice about dealing with your parents.
14. Actually, they give you great advice in general.
15. Their out-of-state houses make great vacation destinations.
16. Nieces and nephews ... need I say more?
17. They have great connections for internships and jobs and can help set you up.
18. They give you a unique growing up experience that you wouldn't change for the world.