Being a self-proclaimed annoying little sister, I have suffered a lot of (probably deserved) abuse throughout my childhood. My brother is nine years older than me, a large difference that led to a lot of conflicts as he was nearly grown when I first began to discover the world.

As a result, we bickered often, fought a lot, and there were times I swore I hated him. However, no matter how viciously we argued, I never doubted my brother's love. I always knew he would be there for me when I needed him.

Although I may be biased, I am a firm believer that every little girl should have an older brother to protect her, pick on her, and to teach her life lessons. No matter what kind of relationship you have, there are certain guarantees that come with older brothers.

1. You have a lifelong playmate.

2. You will always have someone more than willing to put a check on your ego... and your attitude.

3. You WILL, at some point, be used as a wrestling partner or punching bag.

4. You can always count on being annoyed.

5. There will never be food in the house because your brother ate it all.

6. You will be subjected to endless amounts of cars, sports, and video games.

7. You will be forced to try the weirdest food combinations... think Cheeze-Whiz in Bugels.

8. You can count on being embarrassed at every important event... this means formals, proms, graduations, and anytime a boyfriend is introduced

9. You'll have a lifelong cheerleader.

10. You'll learn some life lessons too early.

11. You'll always have a protector.

12. You'll argue until you cry.

13. You'll also laugh until you cry.

14. You'll always receive an honest (if not overly exaggerated) opinion about how you look (the answer usually involves comments about too short hems and plunging necklines)

15. You'll always have a best friend.

16. You'll get blamed for situations you did not cause.

17. You'll also learn how to pass off events onto others (cough your brother cough)

18. You gain a list of additional older brothers in his best friends.

19. You lose the ability to be easily disgusted... you've seen a lot, OK?!

20. You learn the true meaning of tough love.

Sure, having a brother can be rough. They do gross things. They're annoying, and they often smell. They know how to push ALL your buttons and make you so mad you could scream. Yet, no matter how crazy they drive you, deep down you know they'll always be there for you.

A brother's love, while often expressed in strange forms of abuse, is unconditional, and at the end of the day, there's no better best friend than a big brother.