My youngest sister, Brodie, has Down Syndrome.

I say that sentence with confidence. Six years ago, before my sister was born, I didn’t look at this special ability the way I do now.

These statements may seem a bit harsh, but I thought it was a bad thing. When I found out my sister had Downs, I started crying, worrying about how difficult her life would be. It was a hard thing to hear because I considered her the perfect child, and I didn’t want people’s feelings towards her to change because she had this different ability.

Brodie is my best friend. Yes, she is six years old and is in kindergarten, but she is someone who I have looked up to since the day she was born. I never thought when I was in eighth grade and my parents told me that we were going to be getting a new sibling that it would change my life the way that it has.

Brodie is there for me whenever I need her. She is always there with a smile to brighten my day. Brodie is 100% a gift from God. Who would have thought that my parents would end up having a child ten years after my next youngest sister? Who would have thought that she would light up our entire family's world?

One thing that I admire about Brodie is that I have never seen her sad. She is genuinely the happiest person I know. I strive to be like her every day. She starts every day fresh and is excited about everything that comes in contact with her. I have never seen one person who doesn’t light up when they see her. I swear to God, Brodie will be famous someday. I say this because people I don’t even know come up to her and talk to her and she just loves it.

The second thing I admire about Brodie is that she loves life. I think she was put on this earth for a reason. She has changed my entire family's outlook on life. Before she was born, I didn’t know anything about Down Syndrome other than the stereotypes that I heard. It made me emotional thinking about everything, but once I saw the life that was in her eyes, it changed my outlook--not only on Downs but my life entirely.

Down Syndrome is not a disability. It is truly something that I hope everyone on this earth can come in contact with through a friend or sibling. People with Down Syndrome are a blessing. They look at everything in a positive way and are constantly happy and living their life.

After seeing the life in Brodie, it really made me want to live my life to the fullest. She gives me that strength to take the extra step, and to push myself because she does that every. single. day.

One of my favorite things after having Brodie was doing the Down Syndrome walk with her organization that she goes through. They have an annual walk for people with Down Syndrome in our area. It’s a great day filled with games and families getting together, and we get to celebrate the wonderful lives of these people by walking with our own teams.

These days are the most humbling for me. Brodie has the biggest support system of anyone that I know. My fear of people worrying about what they thought of her is something that was nonexistent the second I realized how wonderful this little girl truly was.

The walk makes me realize how great of a family and friends that my immediate family and Brodie have. To walk for someone who is so close to your heart is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

Looking at Down Syndrome now, after having a sibling with this special ability, I want everyone to be educated enough to look at it as a positive thing. Because it is. My family is very lucky.

Brodie doesn’t have any serious medical conditions or anything along those lines, and she is a good kid who loves school and going to dance. I know it isn’t always that easy, but at the end of the day for anyone affected by this, how great is it to have a child who is genuinely happy all of the time?

And who brightens up anyone’s day just by giving them a smile? I couldn’t be happier that I was given this chance to realize the significance and true purpose of Down Syndrome.

Thinking about Brodie, and about the life that she lives, makes me emotional because I am so happy that God chose our family to have this wonderful little girl in our lives.

She is a genuine, beautiful, and a perfect little girl, and I strive to be like her every day.

She is my hero.