Allow me to have a Mother Hen moment here.

My youngest brother of two, Kyle, has graduated from high school. He managed to survive the awkward middle school years and navigate the politics of teen angst in the high school hallways. He came away with the James S. Bower scholarship (a business award for having an “entrepreneurial spirit”), the coveted Best Dressed and Most Photogenic vote from his classmates, and an athletic scholarship to play soccer for DePaul University this Fall. Yes, my little brother is a champ.

I love my brothers.

I think they are the coolest dudes around and lucky duck that I am, they are my best friends. Nobody else has put up with my weird antics for so long nor encouraged me to get even weirder. They were my first playmates, my first confidants, and my first besties. I would not be the woman I am today without their love and encouragement following me these past twenty-something years.

Being an older sister is a tricky position, particularly when both younger siblings are energetic and impressive guys. Trying to strike that emotional balance between “being a good example” and becoming their friend was not an easy task for me. I definitely had problems retiring from my self-elected position as Mother Hen (or the Third Parent) in order to get on the “Bro” side of our sibling relationship. At times, I have given advice to my younger siblings on a topic I have no life experience with (and I highly doubt the advice was helpful).

I didn’t make life a breeze on them either. I was a Know-It-All, bossy older sister. Being the only girl and wanting some company, they have been dragged to a lot of “girly” activities without complaint over the years. I set the academic and extracurricular achievement bar pretty high as an older sibling (and I’m happy to say they both cleared it spectacularly). And one time I strapped my brother Dair down in a chair and forcefully practiced my makeup skills on him. …sorry…

Sometimes I wish I could be my brothers for a day. Dair has a complex mind and one of the sharpest wits around, constantly adding subtle humor to my life and the family group chat. He is “hip and with the times”- my go to when I want to find new music or try a new restaurant in Grand Rapids. Kyle is a goofball with a heart of gold, making friends wherever he goes and he never fails to crack us up during family dinners. If you ever wanted a style makeover, a fun buddy to do errands with or a huge bear hug, Kyle is your man.

Who wouldn’t want to experience what Being Awesome feels like for a day?

Wow, so now you all know how cool I think my brothers are and how intensely I fangirl them. And maybe I do love them too much or too publicly- I can be a little intense. But for me, this is a small picture of what unconditional love looks like. Without a doubt, my bros have my back and I will always have theirs. I think that is something to brag about.

Celebrate your siblings. You don’t have to make a Hallmark-worthy declaration of love like I did, but show them some appreciation, a little extra love. Awesome siblings are a gift and something that should be treasured. The world gave you guaranteed best friends, people who conveniently share your common interests and are predisposed to love you the most. You would be a fool not to celebrate them.