When I was 5 years old, my dad got remarried. This not only came with a stepmom but two stepbrothers. 5-year-old me was not thrilled about this at all. I was spoiled rotten to the core and those days were put to a stop.

Anything and everything was about me, then BOOM, I had to share my toys (not cool dude), my dad, and my house. Prior to this marriage, it was just my dad and I. It was a rough transition, but 20-year-old me is more than grateful!

Michelle Kiehl

A lot of people who have stepsiblings do not think anything of it, let alone consider them to be real siblings. Then there are people like my stepbrothers and me, who consider each other to be real siblings. I remember in high school, kids would say we do not look alike, but that never mattered. They are my brothers regardless of blood and DNA.

A lot of this came from living together for the majority of our lives. Even though our family dynamic was a tad nontraditional, we still consider ourselves to be family. I know they will always have my back and I will always have theirs. We always check up on each other since we began college, and when we are home, it is like we were never apart.

Michelle Kiehl

Sometimes I do not know where I would be without my brothers. All of the evenings working on homework together (they would do my math for me from time to time), brawling over whose turn it is to watch the TV because we all liked different shows, playing hide-and-seek, and the best of all, getting on our parents' last nerve.

All of those things lead to the bonds we have today. It is so fun to think back to when we were younger. Our parents thought we would never get along as adults, yet now we have bonds stronger than those with some of our closest friends.

Having stepbrothers who are practically my real brothers is one of the best things that has happened to me. As I said, they always have my back. If they had never come into my life, it would have just been me as an only child. I am beyond appreciative of them and the bonds I have with each of my brothers.