Usually older siblings are portrayed as bullies everywhere and usually the portrayal of a younger sibling on media tends to be deceiving. We’re not always annoying, spoiled brats who get everything we want - and sometimes maybe we are! However, when growing up, a younger sibling goes through much more than just being bullied by an older sibling. In fact, I’ve found that having an older sibling has helped me grow into the unique kind of person I stand as today. I must say I owe most of it to my older brother.
My older brother has probably played more roles in my life than anyone else has. When we were younger he was my guide to everything American. This was especially true because he and I came to the United States when we were very young, so going through the culture shock was something we had to do together. Adapting to American culture from Indian culture was something he had to do first because he completed some of his schooling in India. I can only imagine how tough the transition must have been. Whether it was trying to do well in school with a different kind of system or making friends, my brother definitely faced some immense changes and problems, but he managed to make it through it all and stand as a role model for me.
The obvious other role for him as kids was my first friend to play with. Before any random Indian friends were made, my brother and I had to do something to keep our sanity! So it resulted in us playing random make-up games in our tiny apartment. Then the day came where my family moved into a house and something else was introduced: Video games. Our Nintendo 64 had entered our lives and the random makeup games had stopped. The main obsession? Pokemon. I admit, I had an insane obsession with Pokemon, but it’s all my brother’s fault! From Pokemon Stadium to Gameboy games, we’d seen it all. One random day I went into his room and saw him playing Pokemon Sapphire edition on his Gameboy Advance (no idea if anyone even knows what that is now) and he goes on to explain everything in the game to me. That day marked a milestone in my childhood. The start of my Pokemon career. I know it sounds insanely nerdy, but I can’t even deny it! I’m still kinda in love with Pokemon, but at least, I have a few other hobbies that have steered me away from the video game obsession. The point is, if I didn’t have my older brother, I wouldn’t have developed weird interests and I must thank him for that!
Then came a pretty weird phase of high school. My brother went to high school four years before I did and that served as a good guide for me on what to do and what not to do. I learned later on that I definitely wanted to be the opposite of what he was in high school. He was a band-geek all throughout while I didn’t have anything to do with instruments. If he took Spanish, j’ai parle le francais. Basically, I wanted to set different sets of standards for me than him. My brother stood as someone I either had to match or beat in terms of success, giving me a good competitive spirit.
When my brother went to college, he taught me a good amount indirectly. One of the most important lessons I learned from him is that it’s completely OK to change your mind - specifically your major. I still remember the day when he changed from chemical engineering to something completely different, international business. It was a huge shock for my family, as my family was full of engineers, so business was definitely a big change. Despite everyone's doubts in his decision, my brother went on to be successful and now has a great job that he enjoys. He taught me that despite the obstacles or changes in our path, we can definitely emerge successful.
Today, I’m a sophomore in college and I've never found my brother so helpful. Being the youngest in the family and being part of a different generation than my parents, one with a new mindset and ideas, I can’t always talk to my parents about everything. That’s when my brother emerged as a third parent. From advice on switching majors, choosing completely different careers or just talking about bad days, my brother has always been there for me and it’s helped me a lot throughout college.
So what's the point of me telling you about my entire life with my brother? To tell you that no matter how different or weird the experience of growing up with your brother, you will end up cherishing that special relationship for many years. This doesn't even have to pertain to brothers. Growing up with any kind of older sibling will always have it's huge perks! Even if your relationship with your older sibling might seem boring or strained right now, just know that they always love you and will be there for you no matter what.
