According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of brotherhood is, “the feelings of friendship, support, and understanding between people.” However, as I have continued to grow as a pledge in my fraternity, I have learned brotherhood really is an indescribable thing. I thought I had a pretty good grasp of what brotherhood meant, coming into college; it is your bros, your pals, the guys you went to parties with, played sports with in high school, sat at lunch with --usually pretty surface level stuff, besides a few best friends. That is what I expected joining a fraternity, and to be honest, I was perfectly fine with that. It was all I had known.

At the start of my pledge-ship the whole fraternity aspect was strange to me, I signed my bid card and all of a sudden I was  brothers with over 60 guys I had never meet before. Growing up I had a hard time opening up to people besides my actual younger brother, so the idea of opening up to 60 guys I didn't even know seemed insane to me. Gradually, as each week of my pledge-ship goes by, I feel like I have begun to understand what brotherhood truly means. 

From getting to know each man in my fraternity, I have learned not everything is as it seems; everyone is going through something in their lives that they are living and dealing with. Listening to my fraternity brothers talk about what was going on in their lives made it a lot easier for me to start opening up about my life. This wasn’t at all what I expected joining a fraternity, but in all it is one of the best things to ever happen to me. 

There are your bros, the guys you party with, hang out with, etc. Then, there are your brothers -- the guys you do all that stuff with, but also so much more. Brotherhood, to me, is not something defined in a dictionary. Brotherhood is as simple as picking your brother up across town at 4 a.m. because you know he would do the same for you. Brotherhood is staying up all night with your roommate talking about the one thing that has been eating at you, and him understanding and giving you the advice you need. Brotherhood is holding your brother after he tells you how his father passed away.

Brotherhood means so many things for so many people, but what brotherhood means to me is having 60 guys I know I can rely on for anything and talk to about everything. And it jsut may be the best feeling in the world.