My brother is the nicest teenage boy I know. I'm not saying adolescent boys exactly set the bar for kindness, but Tommy's done a really good job so far. He's protective and compassionate. When my sister was little, a boy was making fun of her. My brother, (who was probably six years old at the time) ran to her side and punched the other boy down a flight of basketball bleachers. It was then that we realized he's super protective.
Our second big discovery about Tom-Tom was his competitive side. It's no secret that the Scheuermans hate losing. Tommy takes that rule to a whole new level. But he directs a lot of that energy towards making sure his sisters win too. When he was little, cheating was his go-to if he didn't win automatically. Now, he channels all of his competitiveness into protecting me in 9-square and making sure everyone gets a fair shot at whatever game he's playing.
Then there's his quiet strength. Thomas is not much of a talker. But when he is, he's hilarious. To his future girlfriend/wife, always laugh with Thomas. He loves having an audience. Because he's usually quiet, he makes an amazing listener, and he's really good at empathizing...even if you've got some drama to spew. Tommy is amazing at actively listening to what anyone has to say (unless he's playing his Xbox) and inserting his opinion when he agrees.
Thomas does not know his own strength. He's a pretty tough guy, so don't even try getting into a wrestling match with him. Trust me, you will not win. At least you know he'd fight anyone who ever threatened you.
My brother hates a string of questions. If you want to live, don't ask him anything right after he wakes up in the morning (or afternoon), after he's had a long day, or to start any type of conversation. He's got a lot of patience from putting up with two obnoxious sisters all his life, but his patience can only go so far. Nagging is a no-go. He'll shut down and you're going to have to work extra hard to dig up all his feelings again.
You can't embarrass him. During his 9th-grade summer camp, I tried pushing his buttons by screaming his name and hugging him in front of all his high-school friends. It was pretty disappointing when he hugged me back, patted my shoulder, and told me he missed me too. I was pretty impressed by how mature he was. No matter how much you yell or try to annoy, you're not going to get a reaction until you make him really angry. That doesn't happen often. This is a really, really good boy we're talking about here.
Tommy always knows how to make a girl feel good about herself.
He once told me I'm the "strongest person [he] knows."
What kind of 15-year-old boy says that to his 20-year-old sister?
He won't play mind games with the girls he likes, and he doesn't fall for anyone that easily. Trust me, he'll be loyal.
He's fun, he's patient, he's a good listener, and he's super compassionate. The only time I've seen that boy cry is when someone he loves is in pain. To his future girlfriend or wife, you are the luckiest woman on this earth.
