Growing up, I always had wished for an older sister who could teach me the latest trends or maybe even a younger sister who I could play dress up with and be a role model for. At the time, I didn’t realize how blessed I was to have two older brothers, however, now that I am older I realize just how lucky I am. Growing up with brothers is a completely different scenario than it is with sisters, but there are so many things they have taught me over the years that I may have never learned without them.
They Taught me…
How to work for what I want:
My brothers have always been hard workers, whether it was in sports such as soccer, baseball, cycling or in the work field, they never took the easy way out. Watching them put forth the effort and then achieve what they were working towards always inspired me. It made me realize that anything is possible if you work hard enough for it and set your mind to it.
How I should be treated by a boy:
My brothers never have failed to let me know how I should be treated by someone. There have been times where they would ask me about a guy I was hanging out with, even if he was just a friend, just to make sure I was hanging around with people who treated me how I should. But even if they didn’t ask, I would still know how I should be treated just by watching how they treated others. With any girlfriend either of them had, they always showed her that they loved, cared and respected her, in several different ways, showed me what I should look out for in a boy. Along with the way they care and love for me, my mom and my grandparents, they really set the bar high for any guy that I allow into my life.
How to stand up for myself:
My brothers always told me to never take “crap” from other people. If I was having friend troubles and was venting to them, they always had the best advice on what to do. They never wanted me to be walked all over by someone and they wanted me to be aware that I had a voice and could stand up for myself if someone was giving me a hard time.
How to have fun:
Both of my brothers, though they are older and have adult jobs now, they still know how to have fun and they have always made sure I remembered to have fun too. If I was ever stressed out too much about something or in a bad mood, they always knew how to lighten up my mood and get me to laugh. They never fail to make me smile or show me how to have a good time.
There are so many lessons my brothers have taught me over the years and these are just a few I decided to touch upon. Though we may have a big age gap between us, we’ve never let that affect how close we are. I truly mean it when I say they are my best friends. They make me laugh like no other and I always look forward to spending quality time with them. I genuinely don’t know what I would have done without having them by my side all these years.