Having a little brother can be strange, especially when that “little brother” isn’t so little anymore. I’ve gotten so used to people questioning whether or not my brother and I are twins or if he’s the elder sibling. I'll admit, there are days when I forget he’s actually younger than I am. Growing up we had this really heated sibling rivalry. If he got a 93 on an exam I had to get a 94. If I got 10 pull ups in PE, he had to get 12. Everything was a competition. From who placed higher in a tournament to who got to the dinner table fastest. We’d argue about silly things like who could shower first or who got the last slice of pie. Every once in awhile things would escalate into a physical altercation (I would push him and he’d push me back). So yeah, pretty crazy fights. No matter what we argued about we would always forget after a day or so. I couldn’t hold a grudge for long and neither could my brother.

Looking back on our relationship now I can't help but laugh. When we were in middle school, we went through this phase where we didn’t acknowledge each others' existence during school hours. I mean having siblings wasn’t “cool” in the sixth and seventh grade. We would pass each other in the hallway without saying a word.

“Hey isn’t that your broth -- ” Nope. Never seen that kid before in my life.I'd pretend I didn't see him, and he'd pretend he didn't see me and then as soon as we got home we were best friends again.

By the time I was off to college our relationship had taken a 360-degree loop. I hung out with him more than any of my other friends from school. We told each other everything and would laugh about absolutely nothing. I realized that my brother was my best friend. My first year away from home was really hard. Being so far from someone so close to you is never easy. I'd say my weekly facetime calls were one of the only things that helped keep me sane during my freshman year.

Although I don't like to admit it to him, my brother never ceases to amaze me. His tenacity, dedication and drive are unparalleled. He doesn't run and he certainly doesn't hide from challenges.Time and time again I've watched him face adversity head on. Time and time again I've watched him endure hardship. Time and time again I've watched him overcome incredible obstacles. My brother is my role model because he doesn’t let anyone stand in the way of his goals. People try and tear him down, discredit his hard work and all of his accomplishments but he doesn’t bat an eye. Some people are constantly searching for praise or recognition, but not my brother.

Everyone has days riddled with self-doubt. It’s not hard to be influenced by the opinions of others. You want to wear what you want but you worry about what everyone else will think about your outfit. You want to listen to a certain kind of music but you worry about what everyone else will think about the song you chose. A large part of the reason I have looked up to my brother is because he never cared about any of those things. He was independent and confident. The opinions of others don't concern him.

He has stood by me through my darkest days. I knew I could always count on him to have my back even when no one else did. I truly enjoy his company and I am a better person just for knowing him. I am so incredibly fortunate to have him in my life as not only my brother but as my best friend.