I never had many friends growing up. I was always left wondering if I would ever have a best friend or even someone I could always rely on.
Growing up, my brother and I had a complicated relationship. Your typical sibling love/hate relationship, but our relationship seemed to be filled more with hate than love at a younger age. I always blamed our age difference. We were two-and-a-half years apart, and although that isn’t much, it felt like we were in two different worlds at times.
Sometimes I also blamed our personalities. I struggled a lot with mental disorders growing up and my brother never really understood them or why I was struggling. He is also an introvert and very much likes to keep to himself. I always found my brother to be shutting me out and ignoring me. In comparison, I am an ambivert and love being around family and friends. Although this phase between us did not last long, at the moment it felt like we were never going to get along.
As we got older, we started to have similar interests, such as video games, music and TV shows. We finally had something to talk about and do together, which really helped us bond. One day, my brother approached me and expressed an interest in starting a YouTube channel. Although our YouTube careers did not take off, it was something we did together for about a year. With such similar interests in things that every teenager talks about, we could bond as friends and not as siblings.
Fast forward a couple of years, and we are best friends. When the time finally came for me to move away for university, I was heartbroken. Not only was I leaving my friends and family, but I was also leaving my best friend. I was nervous that our relationship would change back to a sibling bond instead of our friendship bond. The pandemic was a lifesaver in helping our friendship and bond stay where it was supposed to. I moved back home at the beginning of the pandemic and was able to see him every day.
I love my brother, as a friend but also as my brother. We have been through many ups and downs in our life, but we have always been able to work things out.
To my brother, I am proud of you. I am always so amazed by everything that you accomplish in this world. You inspire me to do better and work harder in this world that constantly can make you feel like nothing. I believe in you and only hope that you will continue to shine as brightly as you for the rest of your life. I love you so much!