I am the youngest of four children and am the only girl. My brothers are nine to 12 years older than I am. Because of the age difference, at one point all of my brother’s moved out and I was the only child at home. I got to see what life would be like without siblings. If I had a choice, I would always choose my brothers. The best lessons learned were the ones I learned from them.
Laughter can Diffuse Any Situation
Through anger or sorrow, laughter can typically diffuse any situation. Laughing simply makes you feel better. My siblings know better than anyone how to get me to laugh, no matter what. Whether it’s one of their ridiculous, under-the-breath side quips or an incredibly stupid yet hilariously funny joke, they have always been able to get me to go from tears to giggles without any trouble whatsoever.
How to Fight
For better or worse, siblings will fight. My first ‘fights’ were with my brothers. From them, I learned not to pick a fight with someone bigger than me, I learned that words can be really painful , and I learned that the true test of a relationship is being able to let go of any hard feelings and moving towards a fresh start.
Family is Everything
Through heartache and heartbreak, family is everything. Absolutely everything. Time and time again, my brother’s have proved how much they care when they drop everything to help in a time of need. Likewise, I have dropped everything for them. The most interesting part, however, is that feeling when your sibling suffers, you suffer too. Their heartbreak is your heartbreak. And you would give anything in the world for them to not have to feel that pain.
I Can Do Anything You Can Do
From my brother’s, I learned that it’s perfectly okay to be who you are and that gender roles are ridiculous. I played with Barbies and I played with G.I. Joes. I played Princess and I played football. Some days I wore dresses and some days I wore my brother’s old boy scout uniform. My brothers supported my whims without judgment. It taught me to not care about what others think about the way I dress or behave.
Work Hard, Play Hard
Being so much younger than my brothers, I was able to see how they chose to live their lives. I saw how hard they worked to get to where they are today and I was able to emulate that. I also watched as they would put aside all of that hard work and go on vacation to have fun. They embodied the work hard, play hard philosophy. Their success is my driving force and I would not have that drive if not for them!
