While a majority of my friends come from families with three or more kids, I consider myself lucky to only have an older brother. Despite going to college in two completely different cities (Philadelphia and Boston), I know that my brother is always there even when I don't ask for him. Nobody is perfect, but I wouldn't change a thing about my family, especially my brother. Life can change in an instant, and I don't know what I would do without him. This is why life is so much better with a brother.
He goes out of his way for me.
My brother buys me the funniest and most original birthday gifts. He always came home from school to surprise me at my school musicals. My brother texted me every day during sorority recruitment just to see how I was feeling. He never fails to answer my calls, whether I'm calling to share good or bad news.
He's a great teacher.
My brother never fails to explain calculus theories over FaceTime. He taught me how to properly catch a baseball, throw a football, and shoot a hockey puck. He has helped me to learn the names of his favorite Montreal Canadiens players. He has shown me how there are some benefits (and some disadvantages) of being more relaxed and carefree. I know what you're thinking, but let's be honest, we've both made mistakes. His involuntary mishaps have taught me a lot too.
He makes me feel included.
My brother has always offered to take me out to a diner or ice cream shop when I was too stressed to even cry. When my brother's friends urged him to watch "American Horror Story," he rejected the offer, knowing he already promised to finish the season with me. When I was a freshman in high school, my brother even let me help his friends make fake IDs. (Mom's still not happy about that one.)
He's my partner in crime.
I wish we would have written down a list of all the songs we've rearranged into duets. Car rides are a lot funnier with the music blasting, and Counting Crows or Dave Matthews playing. Despite the complaining, we can always shuck the corn a lot faster together. We never fail to mess up Mom's photo shoots, whether they were on a beach in Maine or a lake in the Adirondacks.
He's funnier than anyone else I know.
His play-by-play Snapchat stories make my night. His explicit (language) commentary on different people and situations always makes my family cry due to laughter. That being said, he always makes fun of my laugh, which is only funnier in my opinion. From attempting different accents, to always sending me a hilarious Vine or Tweet, I know I can always rely on my brother to make me laugh, even when I don't want to.
He's my best friend.
I know that no matter what changes in my life, my brother will always be there for me. Whether we're living in two different cities for college, or sleeping right across the hall from each other at home, my big brother will always be there. No matter how many times my friend group, attitude, or life in general changes, he will always care. I'm so lucky to know that I have my brother forever. He has been there since the very first day, and I know that no matter how far we go, he'll be there until the very last.
