As an older sister to a not much younger (yet much, much taller) brother, I expected to play a key role in shaping the person he would become. I worked to be a good sister, a good role model, and a person to impact the way that he lived his life because I cared about him.
However, I did not realize that he would be the one to have the profound impact on me. In the wise words of Michael Scott, “Well, well, how the turntables.” This was not what I expected. I was supposed to influence my brother as the older sibling, and maybe I have, but my younger brother has undoubtedly helped me become the best version of myself, and I cherish this with my whole heart.
My brother is smart. In fact, he is smarter than I will ever be. He learned how to read from watching me learn how to read. He excels in subjects that I do not, and he excels in subjects that I am good at. He can switch from acing a calculus quiz to writing an A+ paper alarmingly quickly. His academic success challenges me and motivates me to do better and study harder every single day. And I know this will continue, as he will begin school here this fall. He keeps me on my toes, and my competitive nature challenges me to keep up with him.
My brother is driven. He will out-study anyone to do well on an exam, and he will work harder than anyone at volleyball practice. Dedicated to anything he tries, I cannot do anything other than work my hardest. If he was able to work harder than anyone else in a room, then so could I. I did not do this to try and “beat” him; rather, he motivated me and inspired me to do my best by putting everything I had into everything I did. Even though we currently live on opposite sides of the state, this mentality still holds true. I am not happy with anything other than putting forth my full effort, and this mindset stems from my brother’s unrelenting work ethic.
My brother is kind. “He is just so polite,” says every parent that crosses his path. He treats everyone with respect, never forgets a “please” or “thank you,” and is extremely gracious. He does not try to win people over by being overbearingly masculine. He wins people over by his gentle nature and his strong, kind morals. He treats everyone with kindness, whether it is our grandparents, our young annoying cousins, or a complete stranger. Watching his friends cheer louder for him than the other boys on his volleyball team reaffirms what I know to be true. He is impossible not to like, and this is because he is kind and treats everyone equally in a world where this has become more rare (cynical, but true).
My brother is funny in many ways. He has the dumbest sense of humor of anyone I have ever met. He also has an advanced wit that leaves me laughing for hours. This juxtaposition shows his laid back and casual, goofy side and his extremely intelligent side. He can leave you with a sarcastic comment, and follow up with “Ur dumb.” Unfortunately, he has had such a profound influence that now I too find myself saying, “Ur dumb.” Thanks buddy.
Lastly, my brother is strong. Don’t you dare knock him down. He will pick himself up, dust himself off, and then throw it right back in your face. Whether it’s school, sports, or life just flipping him off, he will not give up. He has come such a long way, and he has fought to be where he is today. Watching him become more aware of himself and grow into someone who always has the will to fight has undoubtedly helped me gain confidence and tenacity. If life knocks me down, I try my best to stand up to be resilient. I try to be strong like him in this way.
I try to be like him every day.
Little bro, I could not be me without you. I could not be smart or strong or brave without you. I hope that in some way I have impacted your life because I have tried. But, I could have never expected that you would leave this much of an impact on mine.
Davis is about to get a dynamic duo.