Having an older brother is probably one of the best things anyone can be given. I have friends who have older sisters and I always thought that it would be so cool to have an older sister and share clothes and talk about boys, but having an older brother is something that can not be replaced. My older brother is the single most amazing person out there.

Yes, we have had our fair share of fights growing up and the typical brother/sister relationship, but we also share an unbreakable bond. I don’t know if it has to do with how we were brought up being so close as a family, or just because he know lives so far away and I cherish the times I see him as well as the times I just get to talk to him on the phone. But either way he is the one person I know I can always count on to be there for me through anything and help me solve any problem I may have because he is the smartest, strongest, most sincere guy I know and I am the luckiest girl in the world to have him as my big brother.

Many of my friends come from similar family backgrounds as mine, which like I said, is close-knit, however in going away to school I’ve met many people who are not as close to their sibling(s) as I am. I find that to be a little strange given how close I am with my brother. When you give a girl an older brother you give her many things that I cherish. In having an older brother and being so close, yet having him live so far away physically, I’ve learned the meaning of being close emotionally to family and the importance it holds.

When you give a girl an older brother you give her a forever friend.

My brother and I may still have our share of fights but not one of those silly arguments has lasted for over five minutes before one of us is making a joke and the other is laughing. He taught me to not take things so seriously and to just laugh and things will always find a way of working out and being okay.

When you give a girl an older brother you give her a protector. I remember visiting him last summer with my family and my brother, my dad and I were playing with a ball on the beach. A group of some guys walked up to us and asked to play and we just held the ball and said we were just finishing up. One of the guys must have made some comment that my brother didn’t like, whether it was about him, or me and my dad, he was ready to fight. He is always one to put our family first and make sure everyone is good before he worries about himself and I know he will always have my back no matter what, as an older brother should.

Most of all, when you give a girl an older brother, you give her someone who shows what her true worth is.

I see how he treats my mom and I as well as the other women in our family and it taught me how I would like to be treated, as well as created a standard I’d follow as guys try to date me. He is always honest with me. Having an older brother teaches you to “suck it up and move on”. Through all the silly fights and being picked on that one is a good one to know when going through tough situations.

My older brother is someone I look up to for everything. He is my biggest hero. He knows how to turn my whole attitude around just by being his goofy self and making me laugh. Thank you, Sean, for always being my shoulder to cry on or the one who makes me laugh until my stomach hurts. You’re the best big brother and I am the luckiest girl to have you in my life forever.