I have an older brother, and although he will hate me for being so openly mushy, he is my best friend. He's not my best friend in the sense that I call him up and tell him all of my problems, and he listens patiently before offering to bring me ice cream. I already have a couple of friends that do that for me (blessed.) He is my best friend because he is the one person that has been irrefutably in my corner for my entire life. In him I've found my greatest confidant for 20 long years and a shoulder to lean on for countless years to come. It's a very special relationship that occurs between a girl and her older brother. It's one that I think is worth writing about, so I wanted to share the best things about having an older brother for all of the other little sisters out there.
1. I wasn't allowed to date your friends.
I hope you know that I hated you for this.
My brother is two years my senior, so as soon as I started high school I was considered off-limits to almost every boy at our school. This unwritten law drove me crazy and at the same time was the best thing that could've happened to me. I spent the first two years of high school mainly single. The only person I dated was a great guy around my age who was an amazing boyfriend and is an amazing person. I wasn't that freshman girl who dated the senior head-honcho and did everything he asked her to -- and believe me, I could have been. I was very impressionable and insecure growing up, and I could have easily fallen for the first jerk that paid attention to me. Having an older brother to protect me from the heartthrob bad influences that surrounded me was my saving grace.
2. You were so mean to me.
You've apologized for this a million times, but it's still important to bring up.
My older brother was hard on me, as most siblings are. He called me names just like all brothers do, and he told me how much I ruined his life by being born (mainly because if not for me, all of our parents' love and affection would be solely focused on him. I know, I'm a monster.) I was constantly vying for his approval, even though I secretly always had it. The moral to this story, however, is that I learned so much from it. I am tough and well-rounded. For the most part, I can roll with any punches thrown at me. Don't get me wrong, I'm a pretty sensitive person, but I've learned what things are and aren't worth worrying about. Also, I got to be the girl who never cried on the playground because my brother pulled my hair way harder than my crush ever did.
3. You were my pretend coach.
I openly apologize for never making it to the WNBA. I know you had big dreams for us.
Every summer, just as the temperature was peaking at about 2000 degrees, my brother would decide to "train" me. It didn't matter what sport I was planning to play next, he had a detailed Monday-Sunday regimen laid out for me. He would have tried to be my ballet coach if he got the notion that I had interest in dance. I don't know if it's a common thing for big brothers to try to do, but him trying to train me was the most insufferable thing of our childhood. This was even worse than when he shot me with his airsoft gun, believe it or not, because I couldn't just run away from this. As previously stated, I intensely desired my big brother's approval, as most girls do. So, when he came to me and said that he was planning to transform me into the next Mia Hamm, I was bright-eyed, bushy-tailed ready to prove him right. All of the suicides and pushups that he made me do in our front yard were actually worth it in the end, though. I can honestly say that since then, I have given my all to whatever sport, hobby or club I was a part of. I feel ready for the bosses and leaders that I will have in the future because my very first coach taught me well.
4. You are my biggest fan.
You think way too much of me. I don't understand it, but I'm OK with it.
The best part about having a big brother is having someone that supports you. The thing I've noticed is that most boys ignore their little sisters until they do something impressively cool. Then suddenly they want to let everyone know that that's their sister. My brother has been no exception to this observation. For whatever reason, he is always bragging about me to the people in his life and the people he meets. Even when I feel like a failure, he is there to tell me that I don't stink like I think I do. He is proud of me every step of the way because he has watched me become the person that I am today.
5. You always have my back.
Even when I'm at my worst, you're still on my side.
The best part about having a brother as opposed to a sister is that they're mainly drama free. A brother doesn't care why you and your best friend got in a huge fight or why you had to leave the party. They aren't going to ask for the scoop and form their opinions about who was right and who was wrong. A brother will pick you up at 2 a.m. and drive you home with no questions asked. Growing up, even when it felt like every person in my world was against me, my brother was for me. It's a brother's unspoken duty to protect his little sister and to stand up for her against anyone. It's just the way it is.
Every little sister is lucky enough to have someone leading the path for them throughout their life. I had an excellent example walking a couple steps ahead of me. Looking back on it, I didn't always have a perfect relationship with my brother. There were times when we couldn't stand each other. If you would have told me back then that my brother would become the genuine, caring and downright irreplaceable person that he is to me today I wouldn't have believed you. Then again, that's probably another thing that all little sisters can relate to.
