Growing up, I wanted nothing more than to have a sister: someone I could confide in, someone to share clothes with, someone to be my best friend. Well, after three years of being an only child, I got a little brother. And then another one. They weren’t exactly what I hoped for in terms of siblings, but they turned out to be so much better.
Being the oldest, I knew my responsibility was to take care of them, but they have actually been the ones to take care of me. Through bad break-ups, they’ve always been there to wipe my tears and kick a**, if need be. I can’t tell you the number of times they’ve said, “He’s not worth it,” or, “He’s really dumb,” trying to cheer me up. They are honestly my own personal cheerleaders. (Cue OMI’s new song).
Not only that, but they have to approve of any and all guys that I talk to. I’m almost more scared to bring a boy home to meet my brothers than I am my parents. They’re ready to interrogate him and make sure he’s the right one for me (which he never is). It's so heartwarming to know that my younger siblings care so much about me and my happiness.
They also act like they know better than me (which often is more annoying than it is sweet). When I’m driving, I didn’t get over fast enough, or I should’ve stopped at that light. When I’m doing homework, my grammar is all wrong in my paper. When I’m playing sports (which is few and far between), I don’t run fast enough, or I didn’t quite understand the play.
It hasn’t always been easy. We argue over who gets the remote, who didn’t clean off their plate in the kitchen, or whose turn it is to feed the cats. The list goes on and on. They’re never afraid to tell me when I’ve made a mistake. But at the same time, they are right there helping me through those mistakes. They give me advice as if they’re old and wise.
Whenever I need a laugh, they’re my go-to comedians. They’ve supported me through every endeavor in my life so far, and I know they’ll be here for the long haul (mostly because they have to be).
As we’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that I have everything I ever wanted. I can truly confide in my brothers and tell them anything. We may not share clothes, but I wear their sweatshirts. And they really are my best friends. So to all the girls with little brothers out there, thank them for taking on the role of being an older brother as well.
