Growing up with an older sibling is a blessing and a curse. They are the ones that make your world annoying, but they're always there to make it better.
Let me tell you a little something about my brother. My brother is about three and a half years older than me, and is the biggest pain in my ass. But I love him. Having an older brother is something I didn't necessarily enjoy growing up with. Of course I loved him but we would always bicker. No...we didn't bicker. It was more like we killed each other because we could not agree on anything. Whether is was verbal or physical, we were always fighting. He was the first born child so I always wanted what he wanted. He got more attention and I got jealous. We always butted heads. This made me want a sister even more. I just needed someone that I can gossip or watch "The Bachelor" with. Someone who I didn't fight with and could give me advice about my crush. But now I can tell you I haven't fully appreciated my brother until he left for college. You don't know what you have until it's gone, right?
Him leaving for college seemed exciting and meant I could use his room. I could finally enjoy peace and quiet. While the quiet was fun for a few weeks, it became empty. It even became lonely especially growing up with divorced parents. There was something that was missing, of course it was him. I missed the uncontrollable screaming that came from the next room because he was aggressively playing video games. I missed all the stupid jokes he made that pissed me off but made me laugh under my breath. I missed the fighting. That's when I realized I needed my brother back home. My brother is someone that you're happy when he's gone but can't stand to see him leave. Try that for a self-contradiction.
He was the only one there for me going through my parents' divorce. I mean of course he was there because he was going through it too, but he held both of us together. He was the strong one when I couldn't hold myself together.
It's hard to describe what having an older brother is like. He's like an over-protective dad, but awesome like a best friend. He wants the best for you, but wants you to do stupid things and have the time of your life. He hurts you, but he's always there to protect you. He wants to beat you in everything, but wants to see you succeed more than anything.
Thank you for being my chauffeur. Thank you for letting me play video games with you. Thank you for allowing me to hang out with you and your friends. Thank you for teaching me to learn from your mistakes. Thank you for a lifetime of memories. Thank you for being there when nobody else was. And finally, thank you for being you.
