It's no secret that my brothers and I don't always get along. We fight and argue with each other about things that really don't matter at all. I think it's a pride thing. I am the middle child; my older brother is three years older and my younger brother is three years younger. While it is annoying being woken up in the morning to the sound of a ball hitting your door or a video game with the volume turned all of the way up, there are some perks to having brothers. Not only are my brothers good for driving me places and providing automatic travel companions, but they are also my best friends and have taught me a lot about life and myself.
1. Patience is a virtue.
Don't get me wrong, my younger brother is a very smart kid. But he is a fan of the "trial and error" method. If I give him advice, he usually likes to test my theory for himself. Not only is it infuriating, it is also a total waste of time. But I guess his curiosity will, eventually, benefit him.
2. Hanging out with your family isn't "uncool," it can actually be really fun.
Apparently, some kids think it's "lame" to be seen with their siblings in public? Thanks to my brothers, I've never felt ashamed or judged when I'm with them. My brothers are two of the most grounded, yet hilarious people I've ever met. Time spent with them is filled with laughter and smiles. My favorite memories are the times we've been together, on vacations and on a day-to-day basis.
3. Understanding the basic rules of major sports can be very valuable.
I grew up in a house that revolved around one sport: baseball. My dad loves baseball, so naturally his kids do too. All three of us were raised playing baseball, or in my case softball, and were taught to name the majority of the players on the Philadelphia Phillies before we learned simple multiplication. I've met countless people through baseball and have a simple way to connect with them. Because of my brothers, I've grown up watching ESPN. I can easily follow almost any sport. This skill has proven helpful in making friends, talking to people, and even in job interviews. Sports are universally understood and provide an easy topic of conversation.
4. Being competitive can be beneficial, but also annoying to other people.
Automatically being compared to two other people has pushed me and my siblings to strive to be the best we can possibly be. We constantly challenge each other to study harder, practice longer, and just be all around better. While we don't mind the friendly competition, other people don't always like being challenged. Going to a friend's house and forcing them to play a game that has a definite winner can be seen as "pushy" and "annoying." In my opinion, people are just scared to lose.
5. Second hand embarrassment is VERY real.
Let me tell you a quick story. Two years ago, my younger brother and I both went to the same camp. During lunch, the items in the lost and found were announced and the owners were asked to retrieve them. Well, my brother happened to lose his towel and it ended up in the lost and found. But the towel only had our last name on it, and was missing his first name. Naturally, the counsellors thought the towel was mine. So, in front of the entire camp I was kindly asked to "retrieve my Pokémon towel that I had left at the lake." For the rest of the summer, people kept asking me where they could find Pikachu.
6. Time management and organization are the keys to being successful.
7. When someone yells, it's usually because they care.
My brothers think very highly of me, as I do them. For that reason, it is frustrating when I think one of them isn't reaching their full potential, or is not putting forth their full effort. So, we end up getting in a fight because I want them to do as well as possible and they say they are "working on it." Because we have high such expectations for each other, we encourage each other to work harder. We mean well, but sometimes it happens to get a little loud.
8. Sharing is caring.
While sharing clothes is slightly difficult, due to the size and gender of my siblings, we still managed to find a way to pool our birthday and holiday gifts. There have been dozens of trends and fads in the past couple of years and the bigger your collection, the cooler you were. So, in the time of Webkinz and Silly Bandz, having two other people to help grow your supply was a major benefit. My brothers and I traded and shared all of our collectables, sometimes fighting over who gets what when it came time for Show and Tell in our respective classes. It was cool having people who could add to my supply. Also, our extensive video game inventory continues to be a perk.
9. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, even if it is SUPER annoying.
I'm the middle child, so I know what it is like to be the imitator AND the imitated. When I was younger, and even now, I worshipped my older brother's taste in music. Whenever he downloaded a song on iTunes, I would sync it to my iPod touch. Whenever he plays a song in the car, I type the name and artist in my phone's notes and download it later. I'm not sure why, but when he listens to a song it just automatically makes it cooler, and I happen to like it better. It probably is a subconscious, admiration type of thing. I didn't think much of it, then my younger brother started doing the same thing to me. It all happened when All Time Low had just released their album, Don't Panic. I had downloaded the album to my phone and my brother somehow managed to get it on his phone. He started singing the songs that I had grown to love and for some reason it annoyed me. The songs that I had previously listened to alone, and in private, were now another thing I had to share with my brother. I guess in the same way I feel closer to my older brother when I listen to his music, my younger brother feels closer to me when he listens to mine. Or, I could just be arrogant and maybe he just really likes All Time Low.
10. I am extremely lucky to have two brothers, who happen to also be my best friends.
I would not be the person I am today without my brothers. When I was younger, I always wished I had an older sister. I now realize how fortunate I am to have such an inspiring older brother. No, my brother cannot show me how to properly apply eyeliner but he has taught me things that are much more important. Instead, my brother has taught me how to be the best possible version of myself. He has provided an example of an ideal person, one I can look up to and respect wholeheartedly. He has taught me how to carve a path that will lead me to a successful future. My older brother has "shown me the ropes" and continues to be my role model, no matter how old we get. Additionally, he has also taught me how to be an older sibling. I am so fortunate to have a younger brother who, yes sometimes annoys me, is such a wonderful and caring human being. My younger brother is fearless; he is the most fun-loving and adventurous person I've met. He has taught me that it is okay to let go and to enjoy myself. He is compassionate and genuinely cares about the well being of others. He is always ready to pick up someone who has fallen down. By doing so, my younger brother has shown me that it is normal, and perfectly fine, to mess up. He has revealed to me that the effort I put into something is more important than the end result. I hope that I am teaching both of them as much as they have helped me. My brothers truly are, and forever will be, my best friends. I am so grateful and thankful that I have been blessed with such a wonderful and loving family.
