The gifts we receive can come in many forms. We sometimes wish that we didn't receive a gift, but in the end, we know its a gift worth more than the others. I consider one of my greatest gifts that I've received is my brother Christopher. He's my brother who happens to have Autism and Epilepsy. He's not his disorder but rather a boy that is a human form of a teddy bear that makes sure everyone's okay. Some people who are blessed with a special needs sibling can agree that life isn't always easy, but it's a life that we wouldn't trade for.

My other brother and I are our brother's warriors when people see fit to stare when he is making his happy noises out in public. Autism is a disorder that inhibits socialization in the person affected by it, but you won't get a more loyal companion if they love you. As we learn more and more about it, more people end up on the spectrum that is as long as a rainbow. Males tend to have it more than females. The awesome part is that every Autistic person has something that they are amazing at and my brother's talent is cooking rice crispy treats.

Epilsey is prevalent in people with autism and it tends to develop when they are young. Imagine seeing your loved one on the floor twitching/ foaming at the mouth and not knowing what to do. It has given my family nightmares and we are thankful for every good day that my brother has. Epilsey can be controlled by medicine (most of the time) and CBD oil (if you can afford it).

My brother has given me gifts that are worth more than anything and I wouldn't be the person I am today without them. He gave me the gift of patience, calmness, empathy, and love. You can't help but love a humanoid teddy bear. His loyalty to those he loves is something to behold. The fact that his habit of listening to music to the point where all of us know all of the lyrics to his all-time favorite songs. Patience was learned because he couldn't speak growing up unless he was prompted to. We wouldn't know what he needed unless he watched his body language or his actions.

His first word was "Small World" at 18 years old because that is his favorite ride at Walt Disney World was "Small World" and it continues to be. A person would need a lot of patience to deal with his various noises that would come at random times and how society treated him because he didn't know any better. Society can treat humans like they are dirt. That's why it takes someone as special as my brother to teach them patience, empathy, and love.

I didn't know anything other than loyalty and love until I was a teenager because my brother was always loyal and loving on everyone he loved. If someone treats him badly or if someone were to stare at my brother, I am his defender. If someone is curious, I always educate them and my family does as well. I feel like our closest friends to the family learned from my brother and that's their gifts. It's always a gift to know and love someone with special needs because you never know what you are going to learn.