Growing up, I always had the most siblings out of all of my classmates. With one biological brother, two half-sisters, a step-sister and a step-brother, my home life was chaotic 99.9 percent of the time. I love all of my siblings more than I can put into words, although one has stuck by my side since the very beginning. My older brother and I used to fight like cats and dogs when we were younger, but as we both got older we became closer and didn't fight as much. Now, as we have both grown up and started journeys of our own, I realized that he will always be my number one best friend, and here's why:
1. He taught me about sports.
In the south, college football season is the most important season of the year. One thing that I learned was that if you were a girl who didn't understand sports, people thought you were dumb. Therefore, taking this personally, I did all that I could to become a professional at football trivia. Asking my brother things like, “Why is there a flag?” and “What just happened?” throughout years of football games annoyed him, to say the least. Because of this I slowly, but surely, came to understand sports, because who wants to be “that girl” who doesn't know what she is talking about?
2. He is always brutally honest with me.
Whether it's him telling me that shirt makes me look fat or that the boy who broke up with me isn't worth it, he's going to tell me the truth. Guys don’t take feelings into consideration all the time, especially compared to girls. Therefore, if you want the truth, they are going to give it to you -- all emotions aside.
3. He taught me to be tough.
One thing I have learned from having a brother is that boys don't fight with words, they fight with hands. Therefore, if I ever came home crying about some drama at school my brother would look at me like I was crazy. His solution was always to suck it up and move on, which at first was hard for me to contemplate. Although, as I got older I realized that being a strong woman is the best thing you can be. I am forever thankful for this lesson he taught me.
4. He is my personal bodyguard.
Whether it is the boy who broke my heart or the girl talking crap about me, by brother has got my back. Although he doesn't like getting involved in drama, if I need help defending myself, I know he's always going to be there to stand up for me.
5. He doesn't judge me.
If your brother is anything like mine, chances are he's done way more stupid things in his life than you have in yours. When you tell him about the mistakes you've made, he won’t judge you. He may tell you that you screwed up and made a stupid decision, but he is not going to hold it against you.
6. He is stuck with me forever.
Despite all of the ups and downs that my family goes through on a daily basis, I know my brother will always be there for me. He has been there for me since day one, and I know he will be there until the end. He may be a pain in the butt sometimes, and we may fight occasionally, but he is still the best friend that I could ask for. I wouldn't have it any other way.
