I grew up with the most amazing older brother ever, and even though I've always said I wish I also had a younger sibling, looking back, I realize that there are several perks to being the youngest!
1. You get to hang out with the "cool older kids."
Whether I was sitting in the back of the room watching my brother and his friends fight over a Crash Bandicoot video game or tagging along to a high school football game, I always found a way to get in with the "big kids," whether they wanted me there or not. (But let's be real, who wouldn't want the awesome little sister tagging along, right?)
2. You always have someone to drive you around.
He may not have always wanted to, but when Mom or Dad couldn't get me where I was going, Big Brother came to the rescue. I loved spending solid quality time with him during those car rides!
3. You always have someone looking out for you.
At school, at home and even in my dating life, my big brother always had my back whether I liked it or not. When we were little and I would get in trouble, he always stood by my side trying to convince my parents it wasn't my fault (even when it was). And when it came to my dating life, he was there to run off the guys who weren't right for me and embarrass me mercilessly in front of the few he let me keep around. Even when I deny it, he always knows best.
4. You have someone to learn from.
As perfect as I view my big brother to be, he's human, and he makes mistakes too. As his baby sister, I was able to take the opportunity to learn from his mistakes. No, this didn't stop me from making my own, but it sure helped. But also, aside from mistakes, my brother has always been very wise, and he has taught me more about the world than even he realizes. I am forever thankful for the lessons I have learned from being his little sister.
5. You have a constant role model.
Whether good or bad, older siblings are always role models, and I was blessed with the best one out there. I look up to my brother more than he knows, and I value his opinion in every aspect of my life. He has set an amazing example for me through the way he lives, and I strive to be like him in many ways. I wouldn't trade being his baby sister for the world.
"There may be no relationship that is closer, finer, harder, sweeter, happier, sadder, more filled with joy or fraught with woe than the relationship we have with our brothers and sisters."
— Jeffrey Kluger
